Halo 4: Past is Prologue
by Shadythief
Summary: It's been half a decade since the events on the Ark. Humanity is slowly growing once again, and are slowly becoming the galaxy's super power. But ancient powers long dormant are awakening, and threaten us once again. Can Samus Aran find her brother in arms, the Master Chief, before it's too late? A continuation of Halo 3: a Tale of Hunters and Demons
1. Chapter 1

**Hey all, woo! Here we go, the start of the Halo 4 storyline! This is the one i've been most excited about, and I have big plans for it. In fact, I wrote the first 2 just to get to this point!**

 **In any event, a minor warning. I will be changing certain details of both Metroid and Halo, as well as the overall storyline. Minor details. This is just to make the crossover make more sense, since the two universes really arnt that comparable when you think about it. You have been warned.**

 **Alright, enough out of me, lets jump into the next story in this timeline!**

* * *

Chapter 1 – Vacations over

Green. All around her was nothing but green, vast trees and vegetation as far as the eye could see. In fact, the entire planet was nothing more than a huge forest now. With the exception of where she stood now.

Samus Aran stared into the distance, eyeing the alien vista, and sighed. She looked up into the gray, cloudy sky and closed her eyes, feeling the faint drops of rain land on her face. The rain was cool, causing her to shiver, as did the sensation of feeling the droplets fall down her cheeks. Her hair was damp, but that didn't matter. She took a deep breath, then turned her head to look over her shoulder, examining the statues that sat silent behind her.

The statues were worn, not surviving the test of time well, but Samus could recognize them all the same. The large stones were in the shape of birds, or rather, an ancient race of bird like people. The Chozo. She looked beyond the statues, to the rest of the temple she now stood on. The temple itself seemed like it was suspended in the air, save for a small land bridge. The walls were covered in ancient markings, texts lost to time. They told of a time when the Chozo battled against a terrible evil, of how they fought with all their might but lost. They told of a warrior, prophesized to rise up and defeat the evil, which the Chozo had locked away below. A warrior who was not Chozo, and yet was. A warrior in Orange armor.

She sighed, as she had several times since coming to Talon Four. She had hoped that perhaps she might find some guidance, something to at least direct her. But no, all that remained of her once powerful mentor race was nothing more than hollow memories and ghosts of her past.

She peered over the edge she stood on, staring down into the massive crater beneath the temple, an eyesore compared to the greenery around it. The Impact crater, Samus remembered it well. Within, had lain a monster the likes of which Samus had never faced before, a creature corrupted by the worst of substances. The Metroid Prime.

Samus had come to this world over one hundred thousand years ago, in response to a distress signal. She had found the world in turmoil, the ecosystem being thrown out of balance. Pirates and Bandits had camps set up in abundance, a hidden place for crime. She had set out to detain the criminals, as was her job back then, but she discovered something else. The Planet had once been a Chozo colony, with temples and ruins scattered across the lands. She had read the texts, the ones telling of her coming. She had also encountered something new to the galaxy, a substance of absolute evil.

Phazon.

She shuddered again, this time it wasn't because of the rain. She continued to stare down into the crater, unable to stop the flow of memories. They had been coming back to her in waves recently, and she was pretty certain she could remember almost everything now. The memories continued, with her defeat of the Metroid Prime within the planet, and destroying the Phazon it had created. If only it had been the only planet infected…

She stepped back, glancing around. She frowned to herself, feeling irritated. There was nothing here, nothing useful anyway. She began walking back to her ship, which lay in the forest just beyond the temple. She took one last look back as she entered the green canopy, soaking in its details. It may have been fruitless to her now, but it was still a part of her in a way, and she doubted she would see it again. She stared at one of the carvings on its outer wall, her eyes tracing the Chozo outline. She looked at it for what felt like forever, before turning away and entering the forest.

She trenched through the woods, the sounds of rain and forest life reaching her ears. Though it hadn't done her any good in regard to her search, she was glad to see the world she had saved had recovered, hearing the noises of the creatures that lived her. She arrived at her ship, which lay nestled in a clearing. A clearing, she remembered, which she had landed in last time, all those years ago. She jumped up onto, before sitting down. She had been cooped up inside the ship for weeks, and wasn't ready to jump back in just yet. This train of thought returned her to the present.

It had been four years since the events of Earth, and the Ark. Much had changed in that time, and Samus couldn't help but smile a little as she listed the changes off in her head. Humanity had begun to recover, and had begun reclaiming worlds. Samus had begun making a name for herself again, as an independent bounty hunter. She had detained dangerous Covenant and Insurrectionist leaders for the UNSC, and was quickly beginning to reach levels of fame she used to have. Human technology grew in leaps and bounds, due to discovery of Forerunner caches. One in particular, which was originally found by Dr. Catherine Halsey.

Samus had actually met the woman, after hearing how she had created the Spartans. Halsey was now a prisoner, having been charged with the kidnap and torture of children. She wasn't sure how she felt about that subject, and had tried to keep her opinions to herself. Halsey had been an interesting person to talk to, and more importantly, hadn't asked the usual questions people did. How did the armor work? What is it made of? When will you share it with the rest of us? No, Halsey had been interested in Samus herself, asking about her life before the Halo event, and about the Forerunners. She'd been happy enough to answer. In return, Samus asked about John.

She felt that pit in her gut again, the same one that showed up whenever she thought of him. It had been four years, and still, Samus had no clue where he could be. She had searched what felt like the entire galaxy, and yet there was no sign. She had journeyed across multiple worlds, some familiar, some new, still nothing. She had even returned to the Ark, which was now in a million pieces, but nothing remained to help her.

The sounds of thunder caught her attention, and she looked up at the sky. The sky was darkening, and she could feel the rain begin to grow in intensity. Not wanting to be caught out, she hopped off the top of her ship and walked onto the entrance lift underneath. She waited for it to retract inside, before stepping inside. She looked around her ship, checking to make sure everything was as she left it. The ship was pretty tiny in the scheme of things, larger than a Pelican, but not by much. It had three rooms, the main room where she did her flying and planning, a tiny bedroom to the right corner, and a tiny bathroom on the left. Samus heard the faint noises of dripping, and realized her hair was soaked, creating a puddle around her.

She made her way to her makeshift bathroom, a tiny little thing, and grabbed a towel. It was UNSC issued, and wasn't particularly soft, but it was free, and did its job. She deactivated the rest of her armor, exposing her zero suit. She realized, with annoyance, that water had managed to get underneath the suit. Grumbling, she removed it, using the towel to dry herself.

Deciding that putting the suit back on was too much effort, she hung it up to let it dry. Now naked, she walked back to the main section of her ship, which acted as her command center, her cockpit, and her little kitchen as well. Her feet padding quietly on the metal floor, she opened one of the little cupboard doors and pulled out a nutrients bar. Another thing the UNSC gave her freely, it tasted like garbage, but it did its job. Taking a bite, she padded over to her command console, a holographic table in the center of the ship.

"Adam, any news?" She called out, taking another bite.

Adam appeared on the sides of the table, looking as prim as usual. "Nothing. No unusual activity, nor any requests from the UNSC." He informed her, before chuckling. "How was the spirit quest?"

Samus rolled her eyes. "As useless as I thought." She muttered, before pausing. "Though, it was nice to see it again, in a way."

Adam nodded. "It's good to remember who you are." He then blinked, as if only seeing her for the first time. "You had better put some clothes on, you'll catch a cold with this weather.

She laughed. "Uh huh, that's your problem."

Adam groaned. "A.I don't experience that, and you know it."

"Keep telling yourself that." She chuckled, winking, before growing serious again. "Can you get a reading on the UNSC Infinity?"

Adam nodded, fading out as he went to work. The Infinity was a ship Samus had grown to become very familiar with. At over five kilometers long, the ship was massive, the biggest thing around. Even the likes of the Elites didn't have a ship that size. She had gotten to know its crew well, and had worked together with the infinity more than once. Its captain, Del Rio, wasn't her biggest fan, but he didn't bother her much as long as she got the job done. The second in command, Lasky, was a lot more likable. The two of them had been around each other a lot, and she was happy to have a friend. She had also worked with the newest line of Spartans, who were based on the Infinity. She knew a couple of them, but to her they were just soldiers in power armor, not the warrior John had been…

"Patching you through now." Adam's said, catching her attention. She took a deep breath, hoping that it would be Lasky on the other end.

A stern voice started talking. "Well if it isn't our favorite woman above the law." Del Rio said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Samus groaned.

"Captain Del Rio. Always a pleasure." She greeted, trying to sound cheerful. She was glad he couldn't see her face. She was more than glad he couldn't see her at all.

"Let me guess. You need supplies." He muttered. Samus gritted her teeth.

"Yes, I was going to ask permission to dock and pick up some supplies" She said, still trying to sound pleasant.

Del Rio groaned loudly on the other end. "You know, these supplies need to be used by real soldiers, not people who play at being one. Give me one reason why I should…"

Samus waited, the silence unnerving her. She had been chewed out by Del Rio many times before, but he'd never just gone quiet halfway thought. Another voice suddenly started talking.

"The Captain has to attend to a situation, I guess you'll just have to talk to me." Lasky said, his smile almost hearable.

Samus laughed. "Oh thank god. I almost felt like reaching through the line and throttling him."

Lasky laughed, before coughing, trying to sound serious. "So what can I do for you?"

"I need supplies, I was hoping to come dock on the Infinity." She said, suppressing a smirk of her own.

"Of course. I'll let the hanger team know you're coming." Lasky said. "This is good actually, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

Samus blinked. "You can't just tell me now? Is it another job?"

Lasky didn't answer right away. "No, it's not. I'd rather discuss this in person, how soon do you think you could be here?"

"Uhh, I can be there soon. I'll head out right now." She said, still confused. Lasky said his goodbyes and ended the call, leaving Samus standing there. Adam re-appeared.

"Sounds like we'd better get moving, do you want me to plot a course for Infinity?"

She nodded. "Yeah, and could you fly for a while as well? I want to have a shower and such, I feel…pretty gross."

Adam nodded, vanishing. She felt the ship begin to start up, the gentle hum, the faint vibration of the floor beneath her feet. She moved to stare through the windscreen, watching as they rose through the storm clouds. Lightning danced through the sky in bright flashes, darting all around them as they rose. They soon cleared the cloud bank, the sky giving way to the blackness of space. Samus smiled, she always liked watching when they entered and left a planet's atmosphere. Something about the transition from space to sky made her smile.

"Weren't you meant to be washing your dirty body?" Adam's voice asked, sounding dead serious. Samus rolled her eyes and turned to the bathroom.

"Just making sure you weren't going to crash and kill me." She called out as she entered.

She didn't bother closing the door, just stepped in and turned the water on. The hot streams hit her back firmly, making her sigh. She never realized how much her body aches until she gets in a shower, the water seemingly removing her sore spots. She closed her eyes and put her face under, the hot water having the opposite effect of the rain from earlier. She washed herself within a minute or two, but couldn't bring herself to get out. So she just stood in the shower, enjoying the quiet, peaceful moment.

* * *

The Infinity stood out like a sore thumb in the black of space. Even though she'd seen it before, she still gulped at the sight. It was even larger than some ancient human ships.

"This is docking control, please state your identity and transmit identity codes." A voice called out over the radio. Samus, dressed in her now dry Zero suit and sitting in her pilots chair, transmitted the codes.

"This is the Bounty Hunter Samus Aran, requesting permission to dock." She said, before chuckling. "Come on Dave, you know who it is. How many other people look like me?"

"I'm just following protocol." Dave said stiffly, before pausing. "Everything checks out, proceed to hanger 4, crew will be waiting for you."

She directed the ship to hanger 4, guiding it through its shielded door and touching down on the floor inside. She didn't really worry about where she was going to land exactly, the hanger was large enough to store other massive starships. She was a small blip in comparison. She spotted the crew members who were going to re-stock her food and supplies.

"Adam, let them come aboard, but if they touch anything…you know the drill." She chuckled dryly, getting herself up. She made her way to the lift, activating her armor. She left the helmet off though. She liked to remind everyone that the scary bounty hunter was human like them, even if she had to put up with stupid flirts from marines occasionally.

The ramp lowered, hitting the floor with a dull thump. Samus stepped off, offering a smile to the deck hands that had her supplies. They smiled back, most of them having done this for her before, and began heading onto the lift, carrying boxes and wrapped packages.

"You just going to let them do all the work?" A voice called out, causing Samus to smirk. She turned and spotted Lasky heading her way.

Samus may have been a tall woman, but even then, Lasky was a short man. Most of the other members of Infinity dwarfed him, but he never seemed overly bother by it. He had his hair cut short, like all men in the UNSC, and his uniform was pressed and clean.

"Hey there Amazonian, how's life out in space?" He asked, extending a hand to shake. She took it, noting that her hand was larger. She didn't know if this bothered her or not.

"Pretty boring short stuff, had to come see you just for a laugh." She chuckled, letting go of his hand. Lasky glanced around the hanger, as if checking to see if anyone was looking at them. And of course they were, Samus noted. She was a pseudo celebrity on this ship.

Lasky lowered his smile. "Do you mind if we move to my office?" He asked. Samus frowned, but nodded. Lasky glanced around again, before heading for one of the many doors into the hanger area, Samus keeping step behind him. They walked though corridors, soldiers and crew stepping aside of the second in command. Though, there eyes were always on Samus. They stepped into a lift, Samus struggling to avert her eyes from the people inside, all staring at her.

They arrived at Lasky's office shortly after, quickly stepping inside. Lasky locked the door behind him, before moving to his office chair. He offered Samus a seat, before frowning, as if thinking on how to start.

"I'll just jump right to the point." He began. "Two days ago, the Infinity received a ping."

Samus nodded. She knew what a ping was, a noise in space. She got them all the time. She remained quiet, waiting for Lasky to continue.

"At first, we thought it was nothing. Just noise. But one of our analysts went over it, and discovered that it repeated, over and over. As well as that, it's constant, never changing in variation. We believe it might be a distress signal."

She frowned. "So, what? Ship crashed? I thought you said this wasn't a job."

Lasky looked at her, frowning. "The Signals coming from uncharted space. No humans have ever been where this is coming from."

She stopped breathing.

She struggled to find the words. "What…What are you saying Lasky?"

"You've been searching for him for almost five years Samus. I'm not saying it is him but…"

She swallowed. Could it be? The information was certainly promising, but she had been down this road before, and it never ended with her finding the Forward unto Dawn.

"Can I have the signal recording?" She asked.

Lasky nodded. "Of course. I wanted to do this for you because…well, I consider you my friend." He said, reaching into a drawer and pulling out a small storage unit. "The information's all on there."

She reached over and picked the unit up, looking down at it as if she could see the information now. But of course it just sat there, nothing more than a little metal shape. She looked back up at Lasky, his expression unreadable.

"Now I know you'll want to run off, but I was hoping you would stay for some food. The rations can't be nice, when was the last time you ate real food?" Lasky asked, returning to his joking demeanor.

She shook her head, standing up. "Sorry, you'll have to save the dinner date for later. I've gotta go." She said, making her way to the door. Lasky stood up.

"Wait Sammy." He said. She stopped. He only used Sammy when he really wanted her attention. She turned to look at him, eyeing his worried face. "Don't let this consume you, ok? I know you've been looking all this time, and I know you vowed to find him. But the chances he's alive are so-"

"Shut up." Samus interrupted him. "Right now. You don't get to tell me he's not alive. You weren't there, on the ground with him." She said, shooting daggers at him with her eyes. Lasky looked sad, but nodded. He looked down at his feet for a moment.

"Just be careful, ok?" he asked, looking back up. She was already gone.

She stormed across the hanger, people moving out of her way as she strode. The deck hands waved at her, but she only nodded at them, marching into her ships lift. When it had retracted, she moved to the command table, setting the memory unit down.

"Adam, get us out of here." She growled. The ship powered up, and began to leave the hanger. She looked over at the doorway she had come through, fully expecting Lasky to come running through. But he wasn't there, and for that she was glad.

They left Infinity, moving for deep space. Adam popped up on the table, frowning. He looked down at the memory unit, though only for a moment.

"What happened?" He asked. Samus folded her arms, not in the mood to talk.

"Nothing."

"What happened?" He asked again, his tone serious. She groaned, realizing he wouldn't let this go.

"We argued about John again." She sighed, brushing a hand through her fringe. Her expression changed then, going from angry to feeling like crying. This also made her mad, because it made her feel weak, and yet she couldn't help it.

Adam didn't say anything at first, just watching her as she slowly calmed herself. He looked down at the memory unit again. "What's that?" He asked, attempting to change the subject most likely.

Samus looked down at it, forgetting she'd placed it there momentarily. She picked it up, looking over it in her hand. "Something I was hoping you could look it. It's a distress signal apparently."

Adam's eyes widened in sudden understanding. "Of course, plug it in and I'll take a look."

She plugged it in, in a side port on the table. The information within flashed up off the table, various star co-ordinates and planet names flashing in front of her. Adam worked fast, sorting through the information till he found the signal itself. She stared at the series of words and icons that represented the signal. None of it made sense to her, but she did notice its repeating pattern.

"Adam, what can you tell me? Am I barking up the wrong tree?"

He was silent, leaving Samus's question unanswered. She was considering repeating herself when he gasped. "Samus, this signal is certainly from a UNSC starship. An older model too."

She felt her heart skip a beat, but she kept herself composed. "So? Could be any ship, how do we know it's the dawn?"

Adam smiled. "Because the signal isn't coming from the ship, it's coming from an A.I." He snapped his fingers and the words and symbols re-arranged on the screen. She still couldn't understand much of it, but one word immediately caught her attention.

"Cortana…" She said slowly, a smile growing on her face.

Adam nodded. "Yes. Cortana and I conversed enough that I would remember her unique signal from anywhere. It's fuzzy, and some code is written oddly, but it's most definitely her. And where ever she is…"

Samus beamed. "Have I ever told you how much I love you Adam?"

"You could say it more." He chuckled. "Did you want to make way immediately."

Samus nodded. "I've been at this for five years, let's not keep him waiting anymore." She pushed away from the command table and went to sit in her pilot's chair. She looked out into the vastness of space, smile still on her lips. "Just stay put Spartan, I'll find you…"

* * *

John shoved the kid, pushing him off the hill. It was recess at school, and that meant John and his friends would play king of the hill. And John almost always won, begging bigger than most of the other kids. As he watched his friends wrestle to try and get to him on top of the hill, he spotted a woman he'd never seen before. The school was fairly small, so he knew almost all of the parents, and this woman was not a parent. She waved at him, calling him over.

He ran over, ignoring the calls of his friends. He saw a name badge on the woman's shirt. It read 'Halsey'.

She smiled. "Hello John…"

"John! John wake up! I need you!"

John's eyes flicked open, the sounds of his name being called snapping him awake. His body tired and aching, he pushed against the Cryo door with all his might, the metal bending under the force. He pushed his way through, looking around at his surroundings. They were on the wreckage of the Forward unto Dawn, he remembered. They had been set adrift, and he had been placed in Cryo sleep, watched over by Cortana.

His eyes fell on her next. Her little avatar sat on a pedestal, eyes wide. She looked afraid, very afraid. He wasn't sure if it was a trick of his memory, but she looked a lot meeker than he remembered. Her big eyes looked up at him, a worried smile appearing briefly on her lips.

"John…Oh thank god." She breathed.

John nodded, moving over to the pedestal. He wobbled, still adjusting to his own movement, and was forced to grip the edge of the pedestal. "I'm here. What's wrong?"

Cortana stood up, looking around as if they were being watched. "I detected…something. It was some kind of long range scanner. It's not something I've seen before, human or covenant." She said, taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm down. John was certain now that he'd never seen her this worried about something.

"It's alright, we'll go check outside. It might be good to stretch the legs anyway, I've been asleep long enough." He said. Cortana looked at him oddly, her lips drawn tight. "What?"

"John, it's been just under five years." She told him. He blinked under his visor.

"Five years..." he muttered, letting that sink in. "And nobody's found us?"

"Well something has, but probably not something we want finding us." Cortana commented dryly, sounding like her old self. "Anyway, we should get moving."

John nodded, pulling her chip out of the pedestal and inserting it into the slot in his head. He felt the familiar sense of brief pain and a cooling sensation wash over him, before he chuckled. "Ready to get back to work?"

"I thought you would never ask." She replied, her smile easily imaginable to John.

He made his way out of the Cryo room, noticing the gravity had been turned back on. Cortana's doing most likely. Which brought John to an undesirable train of thought. Cortana had been left alone for five years.

"Are you alright?" John asked as he walked, each step growing more confidant. Cortana didn't answer immediately.

"Yeah, fine. Why?"

"Well, you were left alone all of this time. I just want to know you're ok." He replied, keeping his tone as monotone as possible. Truth was he was very concerned, but he didn't want to let her catch on.

"We need to take an elevator up." She told him, completely ignoring the question. John noticed they had entered a main elevator room, of which all four elevator doors were shut. Figuring there wasn't enough power to use one, he moved toward the closest door and began pulling. Slowly, the doors began to give way.

"Uhh, Chief be careful!" Cortana shouted, but he had already pulled the doors open. A huge vacuum began sucking all of the air out, and John along with it. He was sucked into the shaft, his body being flung around like he weighed nothing. He managed to snag apart of the machinery in the shaft, clinging on for dear life.

"Some areas of the ship are open to space." She finished. John looked down to find that the bottom of the shaft was indeed open to space.

"Right…" He grumbled, turning his attention back to moving himself up. He noticed another handhold he could use above him, and lunged. He secured his grip, before looking for another one, and jumping again. He continued this leap frog all the way to the top, or as high as he could go at least. He leapt for the edge of the floor leading into the next room, and slowly began pulling himself up. As he did, he noticed a faint shimmer in the air in front of him.

An Elite appeared out of thin air and began running toward him, it drew an energy sword, the blade flashing to life with blue, sizzling plasma. Instinct kicked in, and he twisted his body as it rushed him, using its own momentum against it. He moved his upper body out of the way, leaving a leg to trip his adversary. As the Elite lost balance, he shoved, pushing its already tipping body into the elevator shaft. It roared in surprise, but its roar was stolen by the air being sucked into space. John watched it as it was pulled all the way down, vanishing from sight.

"I thought we had a truce with the Covenant?" He noted, looking around to make sure there were no more nasty surprises waiting for him.

"A lot can happen in four to five years." She pointed out. "Anyway, the bridge is just ahead. I'd advise you be quiet, in case there are any more waiting."

He moved into the bridge room silently, each footstep carefully placed. He scanned the room with his eyes, immediately spotting an Elite fiddling with buttons and dials where the captain would usually stand. John slowly snuck up behind the unknowing alien, afraid it would turn at any moment. But the Elite was wrapped up in what it was doing, completely oblivious. John got as close as he thought was needed, and then he lunged.

The Elite shouted out in surprise as it sank beneath John's weight, but it only got out one cry. John snapped the creature's neck within seconds, the body slumping to the ground. John quickly scanned the room, in case any other Covenant he hadn't seen before were lying in wait. But the room was silent, empty, save for him. He turned to look at the controls the Elite had been fiddling with.

"Cortana, could you tell me what it was trying to do?" John asked, pressing a few buttons himself.

"Seems it was trying to do two things, actually. One was to raise the Bridges blast shields on the windows." She pointed out, causing John to notice that the windows did have large, thick metal plating over them. "And the second was…checking if there were anything life signs on board."

John took a moment to absorb the information, continuing to fiddle with the controls. "Maybe they are alone? Or part of a rogue salvage team?"

"Possible…" Cortana mused. John heard a click noise come from the control box, before a much louder sound resonated throughout the room. The blast shields began to retract, the sounds of metal on metal making John grit his teeth. He watched as the outside was slowly exposed, and his gulped when he saw what was on the other side.

Covenant ships covered the space around the Dawn, their huge bulbous bodies blocking nearly everything else from view. But beyond the sea of purple, John saw something else. At first, he thought it was a planet. But on closer inspection he realized it couldn't be, for the entire surface was composed of metal. It gleamed in the light of space, causing a very odd outline.

"Or there could be an entire Covenant fleet. Perfect…" She groaned. "Also, how did I miss us orbiting a giant metal planet?"

John shrugged. "Not sure. Wonder if Samus would know anything about it?"

Samus.

John had completely forgotten about her. All the memories suddenly came flooding back, of the orange clad bounty hunter with a mean streak. He couldn't help but smile as he thought of her foul language and easily riled temper. How had he forgotten about Samus?

John didn't have time to answer. A red beam of light shot out of the planet, heading right for the Dawn. Right for him. He prepared himself to move out of the way, but the beam was faster. John was surprised to find it didn't seem to be doing any harm.

Cortana gasped. "That's it! That's the scan I felt before."

John frowned. "There's still raises the question of who's scanning us. Forerunner?"

The scan stopped, the red light vanishing as quickly as it had come. Moments later, the entire planet made a large, electronic groan. Then, an entire section of the planet opened up, revealing that not only was it hollow, but there was light coming from within it. John also noticed it appeared to be pulling Covenant ships toward it. Then he felt the Dawn begin to lurch forward.

"Oh my…We need to go. Now!" Cortana shouted.

John didn't hesitate, immediately turning away and running for the elevator room again. He remembered that escape craft were a level below them. He jumped down the shaft he'd used earlier, grabbing a hand hold near the door below him. He pulled on the door, trying to get it open, when a grinding noise caught his attention.

The side of Covenant ship burst through the shaft behind him, effectively shopping off the section of the ship he was in. He tried to jump toward a more stable part, but it was no use. The entire ship began to fragment, no longer able to hold itself together. Losing his grip on his last hand hold, John was pulled into space.

John tried his best to avoid collisions. It was chaos, Covenant ships were being plowed into each other under the effects of the gravity the planet was exuding. John tried to grab some debris he floated past, but lost his grip, instead crashing into a chunk of Dawn hull. He bounced off, the hole of the planet growing ever closer. John spotted another piece of ship he could cling to, and tried to correct himself so their paths would intersect.

"Chief watch out!" Cortana suddenly shouted.

John saw the smaller chunk flying right at him, but had no time to dodge the little projectile. It collided with him head on, causing severe pain in his chest and head. He groaned, trying to stay conscious. His vison began to blur, and he struggled to move. He heard Cortana shout another warning, and barely had enough time to see the much larger debris speed toward him.

And then everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey all! Gotta say, having a blast writing this one. I loved the overall plot of Halo 4, and cant wait to get to the good parts.**

 **This chapters a little slow, but then, most chapters at the start are. Please feel free to comment on things you liked or didnt, and Favorite/Follow if you did like it!**

 **Anyways, I wont keep you waiting. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 2: Welcome to Requiem

" _You will become the best we can make you…"_

John gasped, taking in a raspy breath. He willed his body to move, but it wouldn't respond. He opened his eyes, his vision blurry at first. As his surroundings cleared, he realized that he was pinned under a large sheet of metal. Grunting with exertion, he slowly pushed the heavy debris of himself, slowly sitting up when he could.

Around him was complete destruction, the wreckages of ships all around him. Human gray mixed with Covenant Purple, the wreckages as far as he could see, disappearing over a nearby mountain range. The sky was blocked out, smoke and shrapnel still clouding his view of above. He examined the natural features around him to find that he was in a natural, wide crevice within a canyon. He concluded that this probably saved his life, the much larger chunks of metal remaining above.

He got up, his body radiating with aches and pains, but he ignored them. One question still plagued him. Where exactly where they?

"Cortana, where are we?" he asked aloud, giving voice to his thoughts.

"Checking impact data…" She began. She went silent for a moment, John awaiting the answer to his question. A sudden blast of static made John wince.

"We have asked you give up your family, your childhood, your future…"

John yanked Cortana out of his head. The Static noises, combined with her random words had been too painful. Still, she wouldn't have just done it without reason.

"Cortana?" He questioned. She appeared out of her chip, an odd look on her face.

"I'm sorry. It's just the crash, I'm fine." She replied, attempting to avoid the unspoken question. Her answer didn't sit right with him, but he couldn't figure out why. So he remained silent, staring down at her.

"Chief, really. I'm fine." She said, sounding annoyed. She frowned, but again, John got the sense that something was wrong.

"Cortana…" He said again. The bond between them was strong, strong enough for John to know when she was telling a lie. She looked like she might continue her ruse, but she sighed, backing down. She looked up at John, opening her mouth as if thinking how to start.

She sighed. "I was put into service eight years ago." She started. John nodded, aware of how long she'd been active for. "A.I begin to deteriorate after seven Chief."

He stopped breathing. Of course. How could he have forgotten? His mind raced, trying to avoid her point. After she began to deteriorate, she would go rampant, and then…No, he could, would, think of something.

"Halsey." He stated. Yes, Halsey could fix her, extend her life. He was sure of it.

She closed her eyes, taking a sharp breath. "Chief…"She began, but he cut her off, refusing to hear what she would say.

"We need to find Halsey."

"Chief please!" She said, louder. She looked like she wanted to cry, but again, John refused to accept what she was telling him.

"She made you, she can fix you."

"I won't recover from rampancy John…" She said, her eyes pleading for him to stop. But he couldn't, wouldn't.

"If we can just get back to Earth, and find Halsey, she can fix this."

Cortana looked up at him sadly, clearly struggling to say what she wanted to say. She swallowed. "Don't, make a girl a promise you can't keep."

He stared down at her, unsure how to reply. She had told him this before, back on High Charity. But he'd come for her, rescued her from the Gravemind. And he could rescue her again. He didn't get time to continue arguing though, as the high whine of two Banshee's reached his ears. The fighters appeared in the sky moments later, search lights active on their fronts. John instinctively ducked down, narrowly staying out of the beam.

"We need to move." Cortana told him, all business once again. John didn't want to argue with that, so he began moving through the wreckages. Swiftly hiding when a searchlight neared, he moved quickly, jumping and sliding in and around the vast ruins. He climbed inside what would have once been a Covenant bridge, but now it was in pieces, the roof missing as well as some of its walls. An Elite struggled to stand, its unseeing eyes looking right through John. With a last raggedy breath it fell, unmoving. John continued out of the bridge and ducked and dived, making his way toward a tunnel in the rock wall, faint light emanating from the other side. The passage was a tight fit, the sounds of his armor scraping against the rock walls echoing faintly. He continued to inch through, each step an effort.

"Chief, I'm picking up something..." Cortana informed him, playing the sound through the speakers in his helmet. It was mostly static, but he heard something amongst all the white noise. Whether it was a voice or not, he couldn't tell yet.

"Keep me updated." He said, continuing to inch along. He was nearly at the end of the passage, the walls widening. Appreciating the room, he moved forward, into the light. It was blinding after being in the tunnel, causing John to shield his eyes with a hand. As his vison adjusted, he took in his surroundings.

Up above him, giant pillars hovered above the ground, connecting with a very distant ceiling. John could make out metal glints in the sky, further proof that they were inside the planet. Other than that, the sky was beautiful, blue with sparse clouds lining the sky. He looked further on, spotting grassy green hills in the distance, as well as more of the large pillars. To his left, much closer, was a part of the Dawn. John guessed it was some of the hanger, as ruined Warthogs and Scorpions lay scattered around it. He looked down directly below him, noticing they stood on a natural path on a Cliffside.

" _Maybe one of those hogs is still functional…"_ He thought to himself, making his way over to the wreckage. He paid attention to make sure he didn't touch any exposed cable, which still sparked. Cortana's distress beacon was still playing on repeat. He began looking at the Jeeps that seemed to have the least damage, and found one with all its wheels and engine still intact. He jumped into the driver's seat and removed one of its interior panels, moving to fiddle with its wires and jumpstart it.

"You know, you might be on to something about Halsey…" Cortana said quietly as John played with the wiring.

"Hmm?" He commented, wanting her to continue.

"Well, since you brought it up…It might be possible for Halsey to recompile my neural net. But that means we need to find her, soon."

She didn't sound hopeful, but to John it sounded like exactly what they needed to do. First, he would find out where they were, before figuring out how to escape and head back home. The Hog suddenly roared to life, the headlights flickering on and the engine growling. Satisfied with himself, John pressed his foot on the gas, the jeep flying out of the wreckage. He drove alone the Cliffside, moving down to the green hills he saw before. The hog rolled up and down them slowly, the sounds of soft wind reaching him. He supposed this place would be considered beautiful, to someone who would appreciate it.

They drove through more of the Dawns wreckage, its framework sticking out of the earth like an old corpse. The smoke blocked out the sky once again, blocking out the view and leaving John in the dark. The Hogs lights cut through the darkness like a knife, allowing him to see where he was going. The lights, combined with the smoky darkness, made the metal of the wreckage shine green. Like Samus's visor.

John suddenly wondered about Samus. If it had been four to five years, what had she been doing? Had she even made it back to earth?

"Cortana?" He asked aloud, swerving to dodge a piece of metal sticking out of the ground.

"Yeah?"

"Do you know if…the other half of the Dawn made it through the portal?"

"Yes it did, I detected it just before the portal shut." She said, before pausing. "Care if I ask why?"

"Just wondering if the others would have made it." He said, keeping his voice neutral. Cortana didn't comment.

If Samus did make it back, what would she have done? Did she join the UNSC? Become a civilian? Questions John had no hope of figuring out on his own. His radar suddenly beeped, just as they came out of the wreckage and into the open again. The sky was bright once more, as they drove into a small clearing littered with large rocks.

"Chief, Covenant ahead."

He stopped the car, just short of driving into the open. He hopped out and peered around the corner of their cover, hoping to get an idea of what lay ahead. Directly in front of them was an Elite, which seemed to be scolding a Grunt. The two argued, backs turned, while another Grunt clung to a turret, resting its beady head on a large hand. John shifted his eyes and spotted a purple gleam. A Ghost lay not a few feet from the small group, unattended. He checked to see if he could sneak past them, but the cover was sparse, making a sneak attack unlikely. That left one option.

He returned to the Hog, jumping in the driver's seat. He took a moment to ready himself, before pressing the pedal hard. The Hog roared around the corner, dirt spraying up as the tires dug into the earth for traction. He skidded, bringing the front of the Jeep to face the group, before flooring it right for the Elite. The Alien barely had time to register what was happening, before the Hog ploughed into it, its body vanishing under the Jeep. A bump confirmed that John had run it over. He quickly swerved, making the back wheels skid and causing the rear of the jeep to spin, colliding with the first grunt. He hopped out, running for the second Grunt. It started to scream, before two tonnes of Spartan collided with it at high speed. The Grunt slammed into the rock, fell to the ground, and was still.

John quickly surveyed his surroundings, making sure he hadn't missed any Covenant. None showed themselves. He then turned his attention to the Ghost. He hopped in, fiddling with the controls. He had used Ghosts before, but had yet to learn exactly what was what. He pressed a large button, and the Ghost suddenly purred to life, lifting of the ground. John did a quick test drive, moving its two sticks to check that it worked. The Ghost hovered around effortlessly.

"Any more ahead?" John asked, turning his gaze toward the windy path ahead, between the large rock formations.

"Yep, sure are." Cortana commented.

John revved the Ghost forward, its ability to strafe sideways coming in handy. He moved between the rocks quickly, pulling of maneuvers that the Hog wouldn't be capable of. Occasionally, a Grunt or two would appear from a rocky corner, but they son met a quick death, run over by the purple vehicle. They soon left the rocks behind, moving into a much more open area. On the other side, leading back into the mountains, was a small blockade, made up of a Plasma Turret and a sniper tower. The Elite on the turret opened fire, causing John to strafe back behind a rock. He popped back out to pepper the blockade to shots from his Ghost. A few grunts took cover behind purple shields, but the Elite on the turret didn't move in time, its shields dissipating instantly, before being torn up by the rest. It cried out, falling to the ground with a thud.

The turret not a threat any longer, John pushed the Ghost to high speed, flying right for the blockade. At seeing this, the Grunts all threw their weapons away and ran for it, though a Jackal in the tower continued to shoot at him, the sounds of its Beam rifle electronic in nature. John continued to speed right for the blockade, before jumping out at the last moment. The Ghost collided with a shield, causing a large purple explosion. He then quickly pulled out a Grenade, pulling the pin and tossing it up onto the tower. John watched as the pair of Jackals tried to pick it up and throw it back. But it was too late, the Grenade exploding in one's hand and destroying the tower.

John moved passed the blockade, stopping only to pick up a Beam rifle on the ground. He holstered it on his back, reluctantly letting go of his own rifle. It was nearly out of ammo, and no human weapons were laying around. He checked his other rifle, a Battle rifle, and was pleased to see it still had ammo, for the moment. He would have to use it sparingly. He moved further away from the now ruined blockade, heading back into the Rocky Mountains. He followed another natural path, spotting Covenant gear laying around. He figured it must lead to somewhere, and he didn't have a better idea as to where to go, so he moved along it, his rifle resting in his arms.

"Hmm…" He mused to himself out loud.

"Something on your mind?" Cortana asked.

"I was just thinking we could hijack a ship from the Covenant. We've done so before." He said, stepping over a rock in the way.

"If we're going to hijack a ship, we'll need to find where they're landing first…"

"I don't suppose you have an idea for that?"

She laughed. "You could always ask nicely?"

"Asking's not my strong suit." He said with a smirk.

"Nice, channeling your inner Samus." She said, laughing again.

They emerged into another open area littered with rocks, though from all sides they seemed to be surrounded by mountain faces. On the other side of the clearing, was a Forerunner building, which seemed to continue into a mountain itself. John spotted Covenant ambling around, none of them alert. He analyzed his surroundings, noticing a lot of opportunities for stealth. He decided to try and sneak as far up the building as he could.

He crept though the rocks, making his way toward the base of the building, stopping to let Covenant pass. He nearly bumped into a Grunt, who was seemingly staring at a wall for no reason. John went around it, making sure to leave a lot of space. He reached the ground level of the Forerunner building, eyeing ramps leading upward along its sides. He crept upward, stopping only to let Covenant pass him. He moved silently, somewhat amused that the Aliens had no idea he was among them. He made his way to the top, moving up a final ramp which led to a doorway in the rock face. His radar pinged, but when he looked at it, it was clean.

He paused, suddenly feeling uneasy. He moved forward, cautiously. It pinged again, this time right behind him. He spun, just in time to catch an Elite swinging an Energy sword at him. John raised his rifle, the only thing he had to defend himself. The sword cut through the metal gun like it wasn't there, its front half clunking to the floor. The Elite jumped back, vanishing into thin air. Active Camo.

John walked backward slowly, still moving for the door. His eyes darted every which way, trying to spot the shimmer in the air that would give his foe away. In the end, the Elite betrayed itself, his radar showing it running at him from behind. He whirled, reaching out to grab the alien's sword arm. With a twist, he turned the table, impaling the Elite on its own blade. It hissed, collapsing. The sword de-activated and its body became fully visible. A distant roar reached his ears, indicating that the other Covenant had heard the scuffle. He heard feet moving toward him.

"Cortana, can we use the Camo?" He asked, ripping the Camo module off the body. He also grabbed the sword, holstering it on his thigh.

"Yep, patching it now." She said. John attached it to his back, before activating it. With a second to spare, he vanished, not daring to move. A group of Elites, all baring swords came up the ramp, kneeling down to inspect the body.

"He was killed by an energy blade…" One muttered. Another scoffed.

"It was the Demon, we know it survived the crash!"

Another pointed a finger. "You would blame the demon. We all know how much you hated him!" It said, pointing down at the body.

"Yes!" The first agreed. "It must have been you!"

John watched them argue a moment longer, confused by what he was seeing exactly, before deciding to move on. He moved slowly, careful not to break the Camo on his armor. He moved for the doorway, worried about the Elites noticing. They seemed to be in their own world however, arguing about something called a 'food nipple'. The Door opened, and John slipped inside.

His camo gave out shortly after, his green armor exposed once more. He moved further into the building, which seemed to continue deep into the mountain. Inside was a large room, filled with strange devices he couldn't understand. Sentinels hovered about, seemingly unaware of his presence.

"I was wondering when they'd show up…" Cortana commented. "In any event, I can see a terminal on the other side. Plug me in, maybe we can find out where we are…"

John walked across the room, grateful for a moment of quiet. He had thought more Covenant would be inside, but the place was empty, save for the sentinels. He spotted the terminal Cortana mentioned, sticking out of the floor and surrounded by screens on the far end of the room. He made his way to it, pulling Cortana out of his head, and slotting her into the terminal. She popped up a moment later, her avatar pushing holo screens aside as she sifted through information.

"Let's see…this is a localized site cartographer." She began, sounding fascinated. John was happy to see she still enjoyed learning, but felt the urge to hurry her. He remained quiet, not wanting another outburst like earlier. "Hmm…In service of Forerunner Shield World designate Requiem."

"Requiem?" John asked, pausing. "At least we know where we are now."

"I'll try to see what the Covenant have been so interested in…" She said distantly, still sorting. The screens suddenly flickered, and vanished, along with Cortana's avatar. John quickly pulled her out of the terminal, placing her back inside his head. Cortana however, seemed fine.

"Huh"

"What happened?" He asked, still worried.

"It locked up…let me back in, I'll try to re-open it."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" John asked, hesitant. The last thing he needed was Cortana corrupted by some Forerunner virus.

She groaned. "Yes, come on! We don't have all day."

Reluctantly, he removed the chip from his head again, and placed it back inside the terminal. Cortana didn't pop up this time, though John heard her noises of frustration as she fought to re-open the console. John's ears were suddenly filled with white noise, like the sounds he'd heard earlier. Only this time, he clearly heard the voice of a man, as well as a name, 'Infinity'.

"Infinity?" He mused. He didn't know any ships named Infinity, but it sounded like something the UNSC would call a ship.

"I've heard about it before, when I was…poking where I shouldn't be. It supposed to be a massive ship, the biggest humanity ever made." She said, before chuckling in victory. The screens lit back up and Cortana appeared again. "Maybe I could use this terminal to find out where they are, they have to be close if we're hearing them."

John didn't see a reason not to. He nodded, standing by. Cortana began touching and sorting through the holographic interface. A large map of the planet appeared above them, covered in a lot of red dots, or pings. Cortana grunted with annoyance.

"It keeps acting like the transmission is coming from everywhere on the planet at once. It doesn't want to triangulate Infinity's position." She growled, her eyes narrowed as she worked. She pressed a few more commands, sighing, before throwing her arms up, giving in. The map suddenly changed, now with a single red dot.

"Huh, I got it." She said, sounding pleased.

But John wasn't listening, he was looking at the dot. According to the map, Infinity was near the center of the planet, already inside. He shook his head. "That can't be right. Scan again."

Cortana shrugged. "We've already passed through one layer, is it so crazy to think that someone else made it further?"

"Why would Infinity be here in the first place?" John asked her. It just didn't seem right to him, it felt…off.

"Who knows? Could be any number of reasons." She said. "Let me see if I can figure out a way to reach those co-ordinates that doesn't involve you digging a really large hole." She moved a few more screens, the planet vanishing in favor of a more generic map, which showed two blinking spots. John figured one was them, and another where they needed to go.

"There's a terminus on the far side of this complex. I can portal us to the planets core from there." She said, confirming his thoughts.

John reached down and pulled her out, causing the maps to vanish. Putting her back inside his head, he turned and made his way for the door behind them, which according to the map, was a straight shot for the portal room they were after. The hallway they entered was long and featureless, seemingly endless. John pressed forward, eyeing the far away exit. His mind drifted as he walked.

He suddenly chuckled, an amusing thought coming to him.

"What?" Cortana asked.

"We're about to go exploring inside a planet. Now I know how Samus feels." He chuckled. She'd mentioned to him how she'd been sent on missions inside planets before. She'd described it as feeling isolated, alone. John had Cortana, but he was staring to agree, the thought of him being on this world making him feel very alone.

She chuckled. "You'll have to share the story with her, it's about time someone told her something epic, instead of the other way around."

They continued in silence. John wasn't sure how much time had passed before they reached the other side. It had felt like hours. They entered another large open room, this one with a lift at the other end. Or at least John assumed it was a lift. He spotted sentinels moving about, again ignoring the Spartans presence. He moved for the lift, looking around at the walls. He had never paid much mind to Forerunner architecture but he was noticing some differences between this place and other sites. For one, the walls and floor pulsed a bright orange color, instead of the usual blue. While the blue was calming, mystifying, this color was a lot more aggressive, and set John on edge.

He stepped up onto the lift, Cortana activating it from within. The lift began to ascend silently. The room and its orange pulses vanished slowly, in favor of the more traditional blue lines in the lift shaft. The lift soon reached the top, an opening appearing behind John. He turned, eyeing the room before him, before making his way inside. The room was much larger than it appeared, the floor he stood on was a walkway, which vanished into darkness underneath him. The roof was also hidden in the dark. All around him were pillars, seemingly decorative. At the far end of the walkway, was the terminus. John walked slowly, the room making him uneasy. His footsteps echoed throughout the room, the only noise save for his own breathing.

He reached the terminal and plugged Cortana in. She appeared and set to work, once again sifting through holo screens and activating the system within. The Floor they stood on suddenly lurched, moving up and away from the walkway. All around him things moved, platforms hovered nearby and the pillars moved up with them. Again, John felt uneasy.

Cortana started talking, making him jump. "According to the data, this Terminus is just one small node on a large transit grid that spans the entire planet…" She said, trailing off.

"What is it?" John asked, keeping one eye on the room.

She didn't answer right away, as if unsure herself. "When I tried to access the outlet closest to the Infinity's signal, the system responded with this." She said, gesturing. A symbol appeared behind her. To John, it looked eerily familiar.

"What is it?"

"That's the kicker. It's the Forerunner symbol for Reclaimer." She said. Reclaimer. John had heard that before. It was apparently what the Forerunners had called ancient humans, according to Samus. After the Flood began to wipe them both out.

"Humanity…That's got to be Infinity." John said. "Open a portal and let's get moving."

Cortana nodded, beginning to fiddle with the controls once again. A loud noise suddenly echoed throughout the room. John spun, Beam rifle in hand. The pillars behind them began to rise, as the sounds of machines powering up reached his ears.

"Cortana?" He asked, checking it wasn't her.

"I'm picking up unknown energy signatures…" She stated, continuing to work the controls. John did a quick scan of the room, spotting no threats. Yet.

"Where?"

Cortana scoffed. "This doesn't make any sense…"

Suddenly, on the pillars appeared beings John had never seen before. They stood tall, and thickly armored. To John, they looked like machines. They pulsed blue, and all of them peered down at him with beady blue eyes. One screeched at him, making a loud mechanical sound. John took action.

"Set a way point out of the tower, now." John ordered, raising his rifle at one of the creatures. It hissed, but made no move toward him. Cortana didn't reply, still working. Had she heard him? "Cortana?!"

A portal appeared before him, blue on its edge and black within. The Machines roared at the sight of it, clearly unhappy. Cortana whirled, looking confused.

"How did…never mind, Chief, thought the portal now!" She shouted. John grabbed her chip, placing it back in his head. One of the machines jumped onto another platform, much closer to him. It roared again, its back 'shell' flexing slightly, like a beetles. John pointed his weapon at it, but it vanished. It re-appeared back on its old platform. They could teleport.

John eyed the machines. It was strange, they clearly weren't happy he was here, and yet they didn't make any advances, even though they outnumbered him. He almost left like…it was a warning, or a threat.

"John! Go!" Cortana screamed, shaking his thoughts. He turned and ran for the portal, his last sight before going through an army of angry mechanical monsters.

* * *

" _Where's my mommy?" Samus cried, tears of fright flowing down her cheeks. The large monster in front of her seemed to chuckle, its large snout folding back into a toothy grin._

" _She's gone little girl" it hissed, red eyes glowing with delight. "But do not worry, you will soon join her!"_

 _It roared and ran at her. Little Samus screamed and hid her eyes…_

Samus shot awake, gasping for air. Her forehead was damp with sweat, hair clinging to her. She sat up, looking around frantically. She was still in her gunship, still in the pilot's seat she had fallen asleep in. She wiped her forehead, still breathing rapidly.

"Samus? Your heart rates skyrocketing, are you alright?" Adam said worriedly, appearing in front of her on the dashboard. His holographic blue body illuminated the dimly lit cabin, his features showing concern. Samus took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

"I'm fine." She muttered, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Adam didn't seem to buy it, still looking at her with that frown.

"The dream again?" He asked, the question feeling like a blow. But of course, he was right.

"Yeah…the dream again." She said, getting up and moving to the command table behind her. "I haven't had that dream in…well, awhile."

Adam nodded, frown deepening. "You used to have nightmares all the time. Do you think you might be starting up again?"

Now it was her turn to frown. "No, one random nightmare doesn't mean I'm going to have more. It was just a random coincidence."

She looked down at the table, pushing buttons to bring up a display. According to the screen, she'd slept through most of the slip space jump to their destination. They would arrive at the co-ordinates within minutes.

"Any more messages from the Infinity or any other parties?" She asked Adam, moving to the bathroom. She grabbed a spare hand towel and ran it under the sink, squeezing it to drain the water out. She wiped it over her brow, feeling ever so slightly refreshed.

"Negative, though I will be dropping a beacon when we arrive. You know, in case of trouble." He said, turning to look out the pitch black window.

Samus chuckled. "We're in the middle of nowhere, I doubt there's anything 'waiting' for us." She said, mocking him.

Adam shrugged. "Better to be prepared than dead."

"A good point, you win this time." Samus said, stepping out of the bathroom. She willed her armor to activate, the psychic bond between her and the suit springing to life. Her body was enveloped in light for a single second, before fading to reveal her in her armor. Her armor gave her a lot more height, adding to her intimidation factor, something she loved.

"We're about to drop out of slip space." Adam said.

Samus nodded, returning to her chair. "I swear, if the damn Dawn isn't here, I'm gonna-" She began to say, but then they dropped out of slip space.

What greeted her was not half a ship. It wasn't even part of a ship. It was parts of many ships, debris floating in space as far as the eye could see. Some pieces were as small as her ship, and others dwarfed it. Her keep eyes immediately spotted that most of the chunks of metal were purple, and metallic. That told her that the Covenant had been here. She frowned.

In the aftermath of Earth, the Covenant had all but vanished, save for a few small factions desperate to cling to power. In fact, Samus herself had helped Thel, the Arbiter, quell a few of these groups herself. Fanatics who still believed the Forerunners were gods, despite the evidence. If a Covenant fleet had been here, it either meant that the smaller factions were bigger than she first thought, or Thel had something to do with this.

She was thinking the likely hood of the Arbiter being involved over when she spotted another chunk of metal. This one was gun gray, and had been a part of an outer hull from the looks of it. It rotated slowly in space, fading in and out of the light. Samus thought she spotted what would have been words on the side.

"Adam, scan that piece of debris." She said, pointing it out on the computer. She moved the ship in closer, dodging chunks of ship as she flew.

Adam was silent a moment. "Samus, it's the…"

He didn't need to finish. As that neared it, it rotated again, moving into the light. From here, she could see the word that once would have been on display proudly.

Dawn.

The Forward unto Dawn. She'd finally found it, in ruins. Destroyed. And it's cargo…

"No." She said aloud. "I didn't come this far just to let him get off that easily. We'll have to scan the entire area, look for a life pod."

"Samus, the likely hood of them surviving this is…"

"No!" She shouted, slamming her fist on the console in front of her. The Ships thrusters came to life, lighting up the area. She grumbled and de-activated them, the darkness of space enclosing around them again. "We will look. I promised I'd find him, even if he's a corpse."

Adam frowned, looking away. He squinted his eyes, as if looking at something far away. Then his eyes widened. "Samus incoming!"

She looked at where he was looking, a red beam of energy flying through space at an incredible speed. She went to move the ship but it was too late, the beam hit them head on. Cursing, she waited for Adam to tell her the damage. But he didn't say anything. She realized that whatever this was, it wasn't an attack. The beam passed through the ship harmlessly, passed through her. Then, just as quickly, it vanished.

"What was that?" Samus asked, peering through the window. She couldn't see its origin point, only blackness.

"If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say it was a long range scanner." He said, frowning. He looked deep in thought.

"A scanner? Who is scanning stuff way out here?" She said, puzzled. A noise caught her attention, making her turn back to the window. In the distance, she could see a light forming. It was small at first, but it kept growing.

"Adam…"

"Working on it…Hmm." He muttered.

The light grew more. As it did, it illuminated the area around it. What Samus had thought was nothing but darkness, was actually a planet. Or at least, what looked like one. A huge spherical shape loomed in front of them, the light glinting off its surface. That led Samus to believe it was metal, but that was unlikely. Who makes a metal planet?

"The Planetoid is metal. And appears to be hollow. The light we are seeing is an artificial sun on the inside." Adam informed her.

"Can you tell me its origin?"

"Again, guessing. But there's only one race who could have created something like this." He said knowingly.

Samus frowned, looking at the opening in the planet. The Forerunners, it had to be. Question was, what exactly was this place?

"Samus, I'm detecting the planets emitting powerful gravity waves coming from the opening. It's pulling in everything around it." Adam said, sounding alarmed.

"Hmm." She commented. She was silent a moment, watching the gravity begin to pull in the debris around its opening, sucking it in hungrily.

"Adam." She said suddenly. "Can you use our long range scanners to peek inside?"

"What for?" He asked.

"Check to see if any of the Forward unto Dawn made it inside."

He nodded, though he looked doubtful. He closed his eyes. "I'm seeing several large pieces of the Dawn inside. It was torn up pretty bad, but some parts of the ship are still functional."

She nodded, remaining motionless. Adam frowned, as if asking her what she was thinking. Suddenly, his eyes lit up in understanding.

"No."

"They might have made it inside. Plus, even if he didn't, we still need to search this place, tell the Infinity. Might have a nice pay bonus in it." She said, smile slowly growing.

He sighed. "Samus, the gravity well would prevent us from leaving, and I imagine it has powerful radio jammers. Otherwise I'd have seen it the moment we arrived."

She shrugged. "One problem at a time. I'm doing this, be ready."

He grumbled, but nodded. "Alright, I dropped the beacon, at least Infinity will know where we are."

She took a deep breath, before moving the ship forward. They moved through the debris field, weaving through the large pieces of ship. Soon though, the pieces were moving, sucked in by the planets gravity. Samus frowned in deep concentration as she navigated the area, mindful not to crash. Her ship soon began fighting her controls, the gravity affecting it. Instead of trying to pull away, she pushed forward, letting the gravity take her. She heard a loud scrape as the side of her ship brushed pass a much larger piece that hurtled toward the planet's surface.

"Damage?" Samus asked, not daring to look away.

"Minimal. I'll keep you updated on any major damages." Adam said.

She continued to fly straight through the opening, only moving if a piece of ship lay right in her path. Another loud screech rang out, making Samus cringe. A warning siren wailed out.

"Damage to one of the rear engines, placing more energy in rear shield to compensate."

"No." Samus said. "I want all shield power to the front. If we hit something, we're gonna need it."

They passed through the opening, a tiny blip compared to the huge chunks of metal that now rained down from the sky. She barely registered the environment inside, dense jungle under them. She still concentrated on flying.

The ship suddenly shook, a loud bang rocking the inside. She hissed, as more warning sirens played.

"Major armor damage to the left side." Adam said, his tone tense.

"Are we clear of the gravity?" She asked through gritted teeth.

"Yes, we are now."

She pushed the ship forward, fast. The soared across the sky, moving far from the range of the deadly debris. She now looked down, eyeing a suitable landing sight. She spotted a clearing in the jungles below them, initiating the landing sequence. She took a big breath, visibly relaxing. She realized her hands were shaking, and she chuckled.

"Well, that was close."

"Not sure how you can joke, we could have died." Adam said, frowning. She waved him off.

"Once we're down, begin the auto repair on the damaged area. I'm going to begin recon and assess the area. I want you to keep me updated, tell me if you find anything." She told him, getting up.

She disembarked from the ship, stepping off the lift to examine the damage. The entire left side had been scrapped clean, the orange color replaced with the plain metal beneath. Several large gouges ran through the other plating, cutting deep into the metal. She turned to look at the damaged engine, which was sparking and emitting black smoke. She grimaced, realizing just how close they had come to dying.

"I've identified the object emitting the gravity waves." Adam told her over radio, making her eyebrows go up.

"How did you find out so fast?"

"This world is like one giant computer. It has systems I can access all over the place." He informed her. "The gravity well is a large tower located a ways west from here. Though, we currently do not possess any weaponry capable of destroying it."

She cursed. "Can you identify the systems that run it? I could disable it manually."

"I'll keep looking, there's a lot of information here." He said, before pausing. "Also, I have some even greater news. I have detected another A.I on the planet. Her neural net is very familiar."

She paused, before bursting out into a grin. "I knew he wasn't dead!" She said, struggling with the urge to shout for joy. "Oh thank god. Alright, do you have his co-ordinates?"

"I did, though it seems they used a teleporter, I can't get an exact reading on them yet." He muttered, as if thinking. "I can't contact her. I can sense her presence, but it's like I'm being blocked from pinging her. You're going to have to find them on your own."

She nodded, turning to survey the jungle around them. "Can you direct me to the nearest teleporter transit?"

"I can, there's one not too far from our landing zone. I'll give you a map schematic." He said.

The map downloaded, allowing her to view the full scope of this place. It was massive. The planet was actually made up of many more layers then she could have thought possible. It went several more layers deep than she was currently, which actually made her chuckle as she looked at the metal ceiling behind the blue sky. She looked back to the map, noticing the area Adam had highlighted. She could make out a clear enough path to the location she needed to get to, and began to walk off.

"Keep the ship on lockdown, make sure it's ready when I get back with them." She said, stepping into the dense jungle.

"Be cautious Samus. I might be able to access the system, but I'm sure there's a lot it won't let me see. I don't know what kind of defenses this world might have."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. What could possibly be tougher than me?" She joked, moving out of sight from the ship.

"A lot of things. Better watch yourself lady." Adam remarked.

But she was already gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey all! Sorry, this chapter will be a bit of a short one, but after this is where all the meat of the story is! So forgive me, and enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 3: Old Rivalries

John stepped out of the portal, taking a shaky breath. The trip had been instant, and yet he still felt slightly nauseous. He examined the room they had arrived into, appearing to be just an empty room, void of any noteworthy features save for the usual Forerunner style architecture and the door across from him. He took a few shaky steps, re-gaining his balance.

"What were those things?" He asked Cortana, the thought of them still unnerving him. Again he felt like they had been warning him, more than attacking.

"I didn't get a good look, but they seem to be some kind of defense A.I." She replied, her voice sounding just as worried as he felt. "Related to the Sentinels I'm guessing, but it's hard to say without a closer look."

He walked through the door, having found his balance, to find them now standing atop a large platform, that overlooked a huge, hollow area. It was spherical in shape, making John think that they had passed through one of the layers of this world. Wherever they were, they must be pretty deep inside. All the walls were metal, and the only light source was a large purple flash in the middle. After looking closer, he spotted what looked like another platform inside. The platform had shields, connected by two beams of energy that led down below them.

"Let's figure out where that transit system dumped us…" Cortana said. John spotted a console on the platform they stood on, and walked over. He removed Cortana's chip and placed it inside, waiting for her to find the info they needed. John looked around the huge expanse before them, and quickly realized that something wasn't right.

"Where's Infinity?" He asked Cortana. It might be hidden from view, though John had a nagging feeling that wasn't the case.

"This is Requiems core, though Infinity is definitely not here." She said, looking thoughtful. She pointed over to what John had called a platform. "That satellite in the center is amplifying the ships broadcasts like a relay."

John blinked. A Satellite? Maybe it could be used to send a signal out, call for help.

"Could we use it to respond?"

She paused, considering. "Maybe…" She pointed to the beams that met on the satellite, her finger following them back to their bases. "Those beams are what have been creating the interference we've been hearing. We'd have to take them out to contact the Infinity."

John considered this. "Could you find a teleport to get us there?"

She paused, before pushing a few buttons. A portal appeared not far from them, on the edge of the platform. "This will take us to the first pylon powering a beam, yank me and let's go."

He nodded, retrieving her chip and slotting it back in his head. He turned to face the portal, sighed, and then walked through it.

The effect was less severe this time, though he still felt a wave of nausea hit him as soon as he came out. He examined his surrounding to find himself inside a hallway, ornately decorated with glyphs and dimly lit. He could see the exit at the other end, an open doorway.

"This is the first pylon?" He asked, doubtful.

"As close as I could get us." Cortana said. John imagined her rolling her eyes. "Hope you don't mind hoofing it a little."

He made his was down the hallway, soon arriving at the open doorway. There was no actual door, just an opening that led to the outside. John too one step outside and spotted his radar light up with activity. He raised his Beam rifle, only to spot a flash of gray vanish over a cliff face above him. He continued aiming his weapon at the cliff face, before taking a breath and resuming his walk, weapon in hand. It wasn't long before he found more contacts. He walked around a bend to find a small, gray machine creature waiting for him. It screeched and lunged at him, insect like mouth open.

Unable to ready the rifle in time, he swung it instead. The rifle gave out as it impacted the creature, breaking in his hand. The Machine wailed, as if in pain and collapsed. Moments after its death, it began to glow orange, and vanished as if it was disintegrating. John dropped his rifle, now useless. He worried about the fact that he was now essentially weaponless, until he spotted a small metallic thing on the ground. From the looks of it, it was a weapon of some kind.

He picked the little gun up slowly, wary of any surprises. It reacted to his touch, parts shifting and shaping until it sat in his hand, looking a lot like a more traditional weapon. He tried to find a firing mechanism, but it lacked any sort of trigger. Several more of the machines climbed down a wall, screeching and running right for him.

John pointed the weapon, willing it to fire. As if it listened to his command, it did. Bright orange shots of energy fired from the weapon, destroying the little creatures in one shot each. Their bodies fell apart, before beginning to disintegrate.

"Those weren't the same things we saw in the terminus…" he commented, looking over his new weapon once again. He spotted another on the ground. He picked it up, watching it change shape to fit in his hand. He holstered it, keeping his first one out and ready.

"They have a similar cortical footprint as the tower A.I's." Cortana replied, sounding intrigued. "They're connected alright."

John saw a light bridge, a common sight amongst Forerunner buildings, just ahead. He crossed it, trying not to think how it was holding him up, as if the thought would break the bridge and plummet him to his death. They crossed, continuing to follow the natural chasm that had formed. It felt like a pathway, as if it was leading him where he needed to go.

"Chief!" Cortana screamed. He looked at his radar too late.

A large object crashed into him from above, its heavy weight pinning him to the ground. The force of the blow had popped his shielding, leaving him defenseless. He looked up to find one of the tower A.I's looking down at him. It just stared, its head cocking slightly as if it was curious. It continued like this for what felt like minutes. John didn't dare move.

It suddenly leaned in and roared. As it did, what John had thought to be its face lifted back, revealing its true face. The face underneath made John's skin crawl. It had two empty eye sockets, and a series of teeth. Its nose was hollow, like a skulls. John suddenly realized it looked very, very human. He managed to wriggle an arm free, and punched the machine in the face as hard as he could. It recoiled, as if feeling pain. Its face plate closed up again, leaving a blank face save two glowing eye slits. While it was distracted, he pushed his legs under it and shoved. It fell back, landing on its backward legs.

John quickly rose, getting into a fighting stance. But the creature had no interest, its body glowing before it vanished, teleporting away. John looked at his radar. All clear, for now.

"Well he was just a ray of sunshine, wasn't he?" Cortana joked, sounding shaken. She coughed, as if clearing her voice. "From that peak under the hood I'd say these constructs must be mimetic in nature."

He looked ahead to find several more of the machines, staring at him. He walked forward, slowly, but they vanished the moment he began moving.

"More of them?" He commented. From the force of the blow earlier, he certainly wasn't eager to fight one, much less more.

"I'm detecting similar phasing activity at the edge of our sensors." Cortana said, urgently. "We're about to get busy."

Rounding a bend, John found the source for the activity. Several of the tower A.I stood above him on ledges, almost like they were there to judge him. One of them stepped forward, leaping off its ledge to the ground below. It rose to its full height, which stood a full head above him, and stared. To John, it felt like it was waiting for him to make a move.

John raised his weapon and fired, also running for cover. The A.I roared and began moving toward him at a steady pace. It processed shields, large blue energy barriers springing to life to reflect the shots. John didn't know what kind of shielding it was, but judging from the creature's steady advance, he hadn't damaged it. He jumped back up, firing once again. This time, it jumped to the side, covering a lot of ground in one stride. It hissed, raising a weapon of its own. A large, yellow beam of energy flew right for him.

John dodged just in time, the shot sailing past his chest. He turned back to the creature to find it had run right for him. It lobbed an arm at him, its massive weight behind the strike. John ducked, before darting to stand behind it. He fired again, his weapon peppering the creatures shielding. The shields started turning red. It roared and vanished, appearing again near where it started.

It then began to shift its body, its back 'shell' slowly opening up. Another type of creature emerged from inside the shell in a bright orange flash. This A.I floated in midair, and had two large circle 'wings' on its sides. John fired his weapon at this new opponent. It didn't appear to have shields, and was destroyed in moments, its body dissipating into orange light. The larger creature roared and ran at John again. John continued to fire, the creature too focused on him to evade. Its shields turned bright red, then died.

It fell shortly after, its body beginning to vanish as the others had before it. The other A.I still on ledges vanished, teleporting away. John gave the area a quick look around, in case any more surprises were lying in wait, before approaching the remains of his opponent. Its body was mostly gone, turning into that odd orange light before vanishing. He noticed the creature's weapon on the ground, much larger than the one he held now. He bent down to pick it up, doing so carefully in case it had any nasty surprises. It shifted in his hands, as the other one had. When finished, it resembled a more traditional rifle, though a very high tech one. In fact, the orange energy it shot reminded him of one of Samus's weapons. He gave it a once over before cradling it, relaxing slightly though staying alert.

"I've discovered some information about our new friends." Cortana chimed in, having been silent during the fight. "That flash we keep seeing when they die is actually a data purge."

John let that sink in. "Can you tap into it?"

"So far I've pulled multiple strings referring to the big ones as Promethean Knights." She said. John nodded, finally happy to have a name to place on the enemy. "Beyond that though, things get a little dense."

"What about their weapons?" he asked, looking down at his new rifle again.

"Both weapons you've fired used something called Hardlight, which is the same material that is used in the light bridges. I won't bother with the technical jargon, but it's essentially plasma in a solid state." She told him.

He nodded. That's why it reminded him of Samus, her Plasma Beam seemed to do something similar, the results of which were very devastating. He turned his attention to the path ahead, the pylon he needed to reach looming in the distance. With a tired sigh, he proceeded forward. He walked though several metal corridors within the rocky pathway, none of which had any major landmarks.

His HUD suddenly began glitching, the edges of his visor turning blue and displaying static. He did a quick scan, trying to spot a potential enemy. "What's happening?"

Cortana was silent for a moment. "That's me. Something about the portal jumping is increasing the load on my systems."

John wasn't sure exactly what to say to that. "Are…you going to be alright?"

She chuckled, though it wasn't cheerful. "I've held of rampancy this long haven't I?"

They soon arrived at the first pylon, the land barren around it save for a few small Forerunner style bunkers. The pylon itself rose high into the air, its tip sending out the large beam that connected to the satellite in the center of the area. John looked up at the satellite, eyeing the metal ceiling above them as Cortana went over the plan.

"The pylon is shielded, meaning we won't be able to just walk in. I'm detecting two shield generators in the little bunkers around it. Destroy those, and we can enter the pylon. I'll mark them for you."

John made his way to the first target, moving swiftly but cautiously. He spotted several smaller A.I, which Cortana referred to as Crawlers. He skirted around them, not wanting a firefight to break out. He was outnumbered, and the enemy possessed much greater technology than he did. He darted into the first bunker, spotting the shield generator. It was nothing more than a ball of Hardlight, suspended in midair. He fired two shots from his new rifle, which was called a Light rifle apparently, and the generator died. The sound of the shields hum outside grew quieter. A series of roars accompanied it.

"Chief, multiple Prometheans are on their way, go go!"

He darted back out of the bunker, crouching down behind a rock nearby. He chanced a peek, watching several Knights and Crawlers rush the bunker. When they couldn't find him, they seemed to go on a sentry mode, one of the Knights ordering the others on directions to patrol.

" _Great, now they know I'm here…"_ He thought to himself, slowly making his way to the second marker. He moved from cover to cover, taking his time. There were several moments when he was sure he would be spotted, either by a Knight or one of the Watchers as Cortana called them. He however reached the bunker unnoticed. No guards stood inside, leaving the generator vulnerable. He shot it, destroying it as he had the first. From outside, he could hear the shields hum die completely, as well as the roars like before. But this time, more noises accompanied them. Familiar noises.

He rushed outside to find the Prometheans locked in battle with Covenant troops. Phantoms dropped off Elites, who then dueled Knights, blade to blade. Grunts squealed and shot at Crawlers, who screeched and shot back. Jackals took potshots at Watchers, taking out the Prometheans support. John watched a lone Knight defeat three Elites, their bodies either filled with holes or bent at unnatural angles. It was clear that the Covenant were also outclassed by this new foe, though for John they couldn't have arrived at a more crucial moment.

All of the enemies were distracted with each other, leaving John free to sprint into the pylon unnoticed. A knight stood inside on an upper level, shooting down at the Covenant below. John shot a few Light rifle rounds into its back, killing it quickly. He was again amazed at the power these weapons had, but didn't stop to think about it, continuing to run up the pylon to the top level. He emerged onto the pylons roof, spotting a light bridge extending toward another building in the sky.

"That's it, that's where you can shut off the beam. But we need to hurry." Cortana said urgently.

He ran across the bridge, glancing down at the fighting below him. He made it inside, a large lift moving him up to within the building. Inside it was hollow, empty, save for the massive generator that powered the beam, shooting out energy in waves to the sky above them.

"Big switch, in front of the beam." She told him.

John spotted his goal, a large lever like thing sticking out of the ground. He grabbed its handle, and pulled. It was heavy, struggling to stay put, but John slowly lifted it out of its cradle. Then, he slammed it back down. The beam died, its generator slowly powering down.

His ears were filled with white noise, the Infinity again. Though this time, he could pick out a few words. Distress. Planet. Dawn.

"Did he say…?" John began, but Cortana interrupted him.

"John, Infinity isn't inside the Planet, they're outside! They must have picked up our beacon."

John froze. "The beacon was pulled inside with the rest of the ship. And they don't know…"

"They'll get caught in the gravity well. John, we have to warn them!"

"Can we contact them yet?" He asked. He spotted a portal across the room come to life.

"No, there's still too much interference. We need to get to the other pylon!" She said urgently. "I've opened up another portal, go, now!"

John didn't need any more prompting. With the lives on the Infinity now in the balance, he felt his mission more important than ever. He ran right through the portal and vanished.

* * *

Samus stared down at the enemy she had just killed. It was an odd looking thing, its back holding a shell, similar to a beetles. When she had tried to scan it, an error had occurred, implying it had security systems that was better than her suits scanner.

"Adam, what can you tell me about this thing?" She asked him. She had arrived at the transit to find that this particular one was derelict, and that these things had been lying in wait for her.

"Well, it's an A.I, though its matrix is unlike anything I've seen before." He began. "Its weapon systems share striking similarities to your own, as well as the shielding, though on a weaker scale."

"Can you give me a name?" She asked, watching its body slowly vanish in orange light. It gave her the creeps.

"I can. This particular one is called a Promethean Knight." He said. She frowned.

"No, I've fought Prometheans before. They're Forerunner, not…whatever this is." She muttered, the Knights existence now troubling her. She had fought the Forerunners for years, and had never come across anything like this.

"The data doesn't lie. Perhaps they were just for security, not for use on the battle field." He suggested.

She shrugged. "Whatever. Regardless, I need a new way to get to John's position. Have any suggestions?"

He sighed. "You'll need to find another terminal. The closest one available is the one that John and Cortana used. The ship is nearing one hundred percent, and is capable of flight. As long as we avoid the Gravity well, we should be alright to fly there."

She made her way back out of the terminus, emerging back into the thick jungle that covered the landscape. The building had been hidden within the underbrush, covered in vines. It had taken Samus awhile to actually spot the damn thing, and it had been fruitless anyway. This annoyed her.

She trudged through the jungle, stepping over tricky vines and branches. She kept an eye for more of the Prometheans, but none moved to stop her. _"Might be scared. Good, they should be."_ She thought to herself, mentally chuckling.

The good news was that the ship and terminal had not been too far away from each other, and she soon arrived back in the clearing that served as her landing sight. The ship looked much improved from the damages it had sustained getting inside the planet, though it still possessed the ugly scars in the metal from her side on collision.

"Adam, any news?" She asked as she entered her ship, stepping off the lift and moving to her pilots chair in the cockpit. She slumped down onto the chair, eager to move on.

"Yes, actually. I've noticed several radio signals that are used by the Covenant. Judging from the wreckages outside, it's not unlikely that some of them would have made it inside." He said.

She nodded slowly. Covenant shouldn't pose too much of an issue. "What about John?"

"He's somewhere deeper in the planet still, and I still can't get in contact with either of them." Adam muttered, as if it bothered him. "I can however, detect powerful fluctuations within the core. Whatever he's doing down there, it's big."

Samus didn't like the sound of that. "Alright, plot a course for the terminus they used. I'll jump out when we arrive, and you can land the ship somewhere safe. Keep it close by though, I might need the help." She instructed him.

She felt the ship lift off, watching out the windscreen with mild interest. She pushed herself out of the chair and made her way to the command table behind it. She typed a few keys in, bringing up a little image of a Promethean. She stared at it, frowning.

"Something wrong?" Adam asked, avatar appearing beside the Knight.

"Yeah, this thing. What is it exactly?" She asked, to herself as much as to Adam.

He turned to look at the image beside him. "If it makes you feel better, I was right in that they are security." She raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to continue.

"According to the records I can access, they're were assigned to this world in order to contain…something." He said, hesitating on the last word.

"Something?" She asked.

He nodded. "I can't find any records of what they are actually protecting. It's as if they were deleted. He said quietly. She could tell the fact disturbed him, it disturbed her as well. Something didn't want to be found, or known about.

She tried a different approach. "Can you tell me who assigned them? Were they Forerunner?"

Adam nodded. "That I can tell you. I have a name, though I can't tell if it's a literal translation. The one who placed these Prometheans here calls themselves the Librarian."

Samus's breath caught in her throat. That name, where had she heard it before? Her head throbbed slightly, the dull pain making her narrow her eyes. Then she remembered. The Librarian was the woman who was in the room when Samus went into hibernation, along with her old mentor Old Bird, one of the Chozo. The memory was one that was still blurry to her. Most of her memories had come back over the last few years, though this one and a couple of others remained a mystery. Who was the librarian exactly?

"Do you know anything about the Librarian?" She asked Adam. He frowned.

"No. In accordance with both Forerunner and Federation law, my memory was wiped save for crucial information. If we knew a Librarian, I'm afraid I can't help."

She stared down at the still image of the Knight, frowning under her visor. The more she learnt about this Planet, the more questions were raised. She didn't like it.

"We are about to reach the transit hub, do you want me to land?" Adam asked, changing the subject in the tactile way he did.

She shook her head. "No, I'll jump out. Go find a safe place to land and wait for my word." She told him, making her way for the lift. It opened up, revealing that they now hovered above a temple looking site, nestled in a rocky outcropping. She jumped out, falling toward the ground. She used her thrusters to slow her impact, hitting the metal floor of the temple with a loud thud. She rose from her crouch to find a lot of Alien bodies, all riddled with weapon damage. Her scans told her it was ballistic in nature, confirming that this was Johns work. She followed the trail up to the top of the temple, leading to a large door in the side of the cliff it sat against.

"Alright, it's clear. Wait for my word." She said over the radio. She watched the ship speed off, disappearing over the rocky outcroppings around her. Alone again, she sighed. She gave the area around her one last look over, before moving for the temple entrance.

* * *

John burst through the portal, rifle raised. The fighting around the second pylon had been much fiercer, the Prometheans fighting to protect it, and the Covenant trying in vain to make ground. John had been in the middle of it all, enemies all around him. He was surprised he had made it at all, killing anything that stood directly in his path. Cortana had activated a portal to the Satellite after he had dealt with the second relay, and he had hurried through.

They emerged onto a series of interlocking platforms, which a large red sphere in the center. It was covered in angry glowing lines. It must have been the source of the broadcasts, though to John, it looked anything but. In fact, it made him nervous.

He spotted phantoms dropping Covenant off onto the platforms, the Prometheans already acting to exterminate them. Cortana let out an exasperated sigh.

"This doesn't make any sense!" She said. "Why would the Covenant care about a broadcast relay?"

"I'll handle them, you just focus on finding the control point." He told her. The Infinity had sent several more alarming messages, including that they had discovered the entrance to Requiem. Time was almost out.

"Already found it, it's on the far side from us, on the top most platform." She said, her voice dripping with alarm.

He began running, engaging the enemy only when they took direct notice. One Elite turned to face him as he ran, only to have its face blown off by the new Scattershot he had found. It was the equivalent of a Forerunner Shotgun, and it was deadly. A Knight roared at him, beginning to raise its weapon. It never got the chance, Johns Light rifle tearing through its shields and blasting its head apart, causing it to vanish in orange light.

As he moved further and further up, the Prometheans began to focus on John exclusively, even if Covenant were firing right at them. Almost as if he was the more urgent threat. As if they didn't want him to reach the control console. John felt that nagging feeling again, as if something about this wasn't right, but pressed on. He mowed through the Prometheans, using the Covenant fire to his advantage, picking off the weaker Knights who had lost their shields, as well as the Crawlers and Watchers.

He made it to the top platform, the sounds of fighting below him still going. One Knight stood between him and his goal. This one seemed to possess a sniper variant. It fired, narrowly missing John and causing the metal wall behind him to vanish, the same way the Prometheans themselves did when they died. Its weapon must have had a slow recharge, because it didn't shoot again before John destroyed it. This left John alone on the platform, the controls in front of him. The controls consisted of two small pillars sticking out of the floor, with large pads on their tops. John got the sense he was meant to lay his hands on them.

"John, somethings not right…" Cortana began.

"We don't have time!" He shouted, placing his hands on the pillars. For a moment, nothing happened. He tried the radio.

"Infinity, this is sierra one one seven of the UNSC Forward unto Dawn, do you copy?" He said, pleading that it would work. To his surprise, his message echoed throughout the area, his voice heavily distorted.

"Infinity, do you read?" he tried again. Again, his message repeated, but no response from Infinity reached them. It was eerie quiet, and John suddenly felt a pit in his stomach.

The red sphere in the center of them room began to move, its glowing lines pulsing. If this wasn't enough to worry him, both the Covenant and the Prometheans stopped fighting, all eyes on the sphere. John suddenly understood why the Prometheans had been fighting so fiercely. They were protecting something, or trying prevent something getting out.

"Chief…chief let go of the contacts." Cortana's said urgently. He forgot his hands were still on them, and he immediately let go. The sphere continued to rise, its lines pulsing faster.

"Find us an exit." John instructed her, looking around for an escape.

"Don't wait on my account!" Cortana shouted. The sphere began to shake.

John ran for the edge of the platform, pushing himself with all his might to jump. He leapt for a platform below them, racing for cover. Just as he reached a small wall, the sphere let out a wave of energy, its bottom half fragmenting and splitting open, orange light pouring from within. The blast knocked several Elites off their feet, but none dared move otherwise.

John chanced a peek over his cover, looking up at the sphere. It continued to open from the bottom. From within the orange light emerged a small object, which looked like a platform. On the platform though, was something living. John shuddered, unable to make out its features just yet. It sat crouched on its platform, before slowly rising. It was tall, very tall, and heavily muscled. Pieces of what looked like armor materialized from thin air, attaching themselves to the things body. It sighed in satisfaction, and even though it was far away, John felt like he could hear it inside his head.

"So fades the great harvest of my betrayal…" It said, its voice sounding powerful, dangerous. It turned to look down upon the Prometheans and Covenant below. It waved its hand, a shimmer filling the air around them. The lights on the Prometheans changed, from the blue to the angry orange the sphere was colored. John felt the pit grow.

The Elites all began bowing to this creature, their heads lowered in reverence. This led John to believe that this creature was, somehow, Forerunner.

"Even these beasts recognize what you are oblivious to, human." It said. John's blood ran cold. It knew he was here. "Your nobility has blinded you, as ever."

The wall he hid behind suddenly vanished in orange light, leaving him exposed. He sprung up and raised his rifle, finger ready to slam the trigger. The being gestured with its hand, holding its palm up at him. And suddenly he couldn't move. His body froze, arms at his side. His shields flickered as the unknown energy touched them. He felt his body lift off the ground, and he watched as he was pulled toward the Alien. Up close, it looked even more monstrous, with several feather like quills passing for hair and lacking a nose. Otherwise, it looked similar to a human.

"The Librarian left little to chance, didn't she?" It continued, looking down at the army below it. "Turning my own guardians, my own world against me…"

It then looked right into his eyes, as if his visor wasn't there. It eyes were red, and angry. "But what hubris, to believe that she could protect her pets from me forever." It gestured with its hand, forcing John to turn his body. He got the sense it was inspecting him, his armor. It let out a single laugh, as if amused.

"If you haven't mastered even these primitives, than man has not attained the mantle." It said, its smile growing slowly. "Your ascension may yet be prevented."

John had no idea what it was saying. Mantle? Librarian? He didn't understand. But he didn't need to. The Alien pulled him closer, so that they were close enough to touch. It gave him an evil smile, and for the first time in what felt like forever, John felt afraid.

"Time was your ally human…but you it has abandoned you. The Forerunners, have returned."

John was right, this thing was Forerunner. He struggled in vain to free himself, but it was useless, whatever it was doing to him was unbreakable. A series of armored pieces formed over its face, leaving a helmet with two angry orange eyes staring at him. Johns radar suddenly lit up, showing a friendly tag.

"This tomb, is now-"

It didn't finish, as an orange blur collided with it from above. The Forerunner let out a cry of alarm, and all three of them toppled off the platform to the ground below. John hit the ground hard, rolling sideways until his momentum broke. The Alien landed on the ground hard, hitting the ground in a crouch, and slowly rising. His rescuer also landed hard, rising to face the Alien, standing in front of John.

In the flurry of action, he hadn't recognized the armor. But now, as he looked over the orange suit, with green highlights and the ridiculously large shoulder pads, he smiled.

Rising slowly, Samus Aran pointed her cannon at the Forerunner and waited.

* * *

Samus stood before her foe, eyeing it cautiously. It seemed familiar, really familiar, but that could wait.

When she had walked into the transit hub, Adam had urgently informed her that John's vitals were spiking, as well as some unusual energy readings from within the core. She had ordered him to activate the teleporter, and get her as close to John as he could. He had obliged, thought failed to mention it would bring her out with no ground to stand on, literally. She had begun plummeting to the platforms below, using her thrusters to avoid the massive sphere that floated in their center. That's when she had spotted John, being held by the enemy she now faced. With no time to form a plan, she had sped her fall, using the force to plummet into the Alien foe.

It now stood, looking at her. She got the sense it was confused, as if it had never been surprised before.

"Well, this is unexpected…" It muttered, making no move to attack her. Around them Covenant and Prometheans all shouted and roared.

"Cut the talk. Surrender, and I promise no harm will come to you." She said, her cannon pointed right at it. John groaned weakly behind her. She chanced a glance to see if he was alright. He was slowly rising, clearly struggling. She felt anger well up inside her but suppressed it. She couldn't lose her cool, not now.

"Samus…" John groaned.

"I'm here big guy, saving you again." She said, forcing a smile.

"Samus…he's a Forerunner." He muttered, breathing heavily.

She looked at the Alien again, and it hit her. She had seen him before, at the battle onboard the G.F.S Olympus. He had been the Promethean General, the leader of their armies. He had a name, which was…

"You're the Didact." She said suddenly.

His helmet retracted, exposing his face. His alien lips curved into a smile. "Glad to see the great Samus Aran remembers me." He chuckled, clearly a taunt.

She ignored it. "Doesn't change anything, you're coming with me."

He continued to smile. "After all the history we have shared, I am surprised that you are showing as much restraint as you are, Samus."

This confused her. "We fought in one battle, I wouldn't call it much history."

He frowned then. "…You do not remember, do you? Oh you poor woman."

She gritted her teeth, his words staring to get to her. "What are you talking about?"

He smiled. "Think."

She did, where she seen that face, that armor before? Her head suddenly began pounding and she cried out, her legs wanting to fail her. She refused to fall, standing as her head exploded with another memory.

 _"_ _Where's my mommy?" Samus cried, tears of fright flowing down her cheeks. The large monster in front of her seemed to chuckle, its large snout folding back into a toothy grin._

 _"_ _She's gone little girl" it hissed, red eyes glowing with delight. "But do not worry, you will soon join her!"_

 _It ran toward her, its large teeth gnashing together. She screamed and covered her eyes. But just before she did, her eyes glanced behind the monster. Behind it stood a very tall man, in armor that had glowing lines and two, angry eyes. It turned and walked off, as if watching them had become boring._

She gasped, looking at the Didact with new eyes. She felt like she was a child once again, just for a moment. "You…you were…"

"Yes, I was there. I watched your parents, and world, die." He said, still smiling.

Anger surged up within her, she couldn't control it. She began shaking, taking big, rattling breaths. She began charging her cannon.

"No don't…he's too…" John tried to say, but she didn't care. She was beyond caring now. The Didact would die, even if it meant they all would go down with him.

She fired, sending a stream of Plasma at him. He gestured, catching the Plasma and tossing it aside like it was paper. She rushed him, colliding into him with her shoulder. He grunted, aiming a swift jab toward her head. She ducked, leaping back and firing a missile at him. He gestured again, sending it back toward her. She dodged, but not quickly enough. It impacted the ground under her, taking out a massive chunk of her shielding. She fell to the floor, and tried to get up. But her body wouldn't obey her.

She managed to turn her head to find the Didact was holding his palm toward her, pinning her in place. He gestured again, slamming her into a wall, and damaging her shields further. She cried out, the pain from the impact a surprise. He pulled her in closer to him, leaving her hovering beside him. She spotted John struggling to stand. The Didact waved his other arm at him, sending him hurtling into another wall. He fell, and didn't get back up.

The Didact turned to look at Samus, and smiled in an evil manor. "Come, Samus Aran. I want to show you something, and then, you can join your parents."

She glared defiantly at him, as they rose up into the sphere above them. She managed to catch one last look at John on the ground, feeling both rage and sadness. She had one final thought before her vison blacked out.

"Damn _…"_


	4. Chapter 4

**Boo! Look, another chapter, and so quick! Truth be told, I've been working on this one, and several others, for awhile now. Finally coming full circle. I put alot of effort into this one, and ones to come, so I really hope you guys enjoy it!**

 **Sidenote: John and Samus WILL NOT be getting together, ever. It just doesnt make sense to me. So, yeah...I have spoken! *Vanishes***

 **Edit: Thank you Guest who's name I dont know. Not sure how I missed that little error, thanks for pointing it out for me.**

* * *

Chapter Four: Nightmares

"Chief Please!"

John shook his head sluggishly, trying to push his body off the ground. He strained his arms as he lifted his weight up slowly. He looked down at the rock floor.

" _Wait…rock?"_ He thought to himself, confusion setting in.

"Chief we have to go!"

Cortana was yelling in his ear, but why? What was the emergency? It didn't take him long to remember the last few minutes, his encounter with the Didact, Samus's timely rescue and subsequent capture. But more came to him. He remembered watching as they vanished inside the Didact sphere shaped ship, remembered Cortana shouting, and then everything went white.

"Get up!" Cortana shouted, her voice pleading and urgent.

The gravity of the situation finally hit him and he shot to his feet, ignoring the protests his body gave him. They were back on the ground. John looked above him to see the platforms they had been on, though the sphere was nowhere to be found. The ground suddenly shook, rocks from cliff sides near him shaking loose and crashing to the ground.

"What's happening?" John asked, looking around urgently.

"That Didact, he manipulated us to release him." Cortana said, her voice mixed with worry and anger. "He moved the satellite on his way out, causing the core to become unstable. He's leaving!"

John looked up in time to see a Phantom crash into a rock face, its front caving in with a mix of shrieking metal and thunderous explosions. It bounced away from the wall, slamming into the ground with another explosion.

"We need to find another portal, fast. Or else…" Cortana said, leaving the rest to his imagination. He didn't need another prompt.

He ran for the crash site, hoping that perhaps the Phantom could still be operable. It had come to rest over a small rise in front of him. As he came into view, he quickly realized that he wasn't flying out of here. The Phantom was in pieces, completely destroyed. He gave the crashing site a quick look over, and spotted several Ghosts had appeared to be unharmed. He ran for one, jumping in and starting it up immediately. Not wasting any time, he gunned its throttle, pushing the Ghost to its maximum speed.

"Hold on, I have an idea." Cortana said.

The Ghost suddenly picked up speed, growing much faster. At the same time, John's shields drained and didn't recharge.

"Cortana?" he asked, wondering if he should be concerned.

"I'm using your shields energy to overcharge the Ghosts boosters." She explained.

They sped along the shifting path, rocks and debris hurtling through the air. The ground itself constantly shook and changed, as the core shook itself apart. Huge chunks of rock sprung up in their path, John having less then seconds to react. If they crashed now…

John swerved the Ghost, avoiding another giant rock. Cracks in the earth began to form, molten magma spewing up with force. John narrowly missed a spurt of molten rock, the Ghost sidestepping just in time. Rocks continued to rain down from the sky, as well as pieces of Covenant ships.

He spotted ahead a huge gap in the earth. A massive canyon had formed where there wasn't one before. He gave a quick glance behind him to find that the ground they'd just been through was gone, swallowed up. He looked back ahead, never slowing down. He was going to have to jump. A natural ramp had formed on the edge, boosting his chances. Keeping full speed, he shot up the ramp, flying through the open air. Huge pillars of rock whizzed pass him, narrowly missing. He saw the ground from the other side fast approaching, angling the Ghost for as smooth a landing as he could manage.

He hit the ground, the Ghost's bottom scraping on the earth before the hover tech kicked back in. He sped off, looking back to see the earth he had landed on vanish in an explosion of rocks. He sped through another canyon, the rocky walls breaking. One section of the wall suddenly cracked, and a huge chunk of rock surged forward, nearly blocking his path. He swerved and dodged with minimal space between them, before another section of rock on the other side broke and surged into the canyon. The walls ahead followed the same pattered, and soon John was swerving for his life, one crash and they were done for.

He came flying out of the canyon just as the entire thing collapsed, exploding in the flurry of rock. He sped through a much more open area, the sky raining down rock and molten debris. In front of him was a group of Grunts, who were all screaming and running. John sped past them, knowing there was no point in killing them. He looked back just in time to see the earth swallow them, the aliens vanishing into the ground.

They sped into an underground cave, the entrance closing off seconds after he sped into it. Inside, the roof threatened to collapse, and spears of rock cracked through the walls and floor. John dodged as best he could, narrowly avoiding high speed death.

"Chief, you need to hear this!" Cortana suddenly said, a different kind of panic in her voice now.

John was going to question what could be more important, but waited, keeping most of his attention on driving.

"Fleetcom! This is Infinity! We have encountered an unknown gravitational disturbance, and are being pulled inside a Forerunner planet!"

They sped out of the cave, the roof collapsing mere seconds after. The message had disturbed John, but it didn't change their current situation.

"We need to get up there!" John said, speeding past another group of screaming Grunts.

"It's not like I can get out and push!" She shouted.

The ground beneath them suddenly shifted, the entire thing falling several meters. They hung in the air momentarily, before plummeting back to the ground. They hit hard, but the Ghost didn't appear to take damage, and John continued to drive as fast as he could. The ground split around them, magma spraying out like blood. The entire ground was shaking now, and everything around them began to collapse.

"Cores not going to last much longer!" Cortana shouted.

They sped around a corner. John watched as the path before them broke apart, falling down into the earth below. It seemed like he couldn't continue any further, but then he spotted a Forerunner structure falling down with it. Resting on top of the building, was a portal, open and active. John kept his speed, the earth just behind them exploding and shaking apart.

He flew off another natural ramp, just as the ground under them vanished. With no land left, John prayed that they had enough speed to make it. They plummeted through space, flying toward the Forerunner portal. Rocks pelted the Ghost, its chassis ruined and beginning to set aflame. They landed on the falling building with little room to spare. John raced through the portal just as the building fell into the magma below.

The portal was instant, and they sped into an open clearing, the sky bright and blue above them.

"Woah cowboy!" Cortana shouted urgently.

John looked ahead, spotting that they were speeding right for a cliff edge. He span the Ghost, hoping to halt its advance, but they were going too fast. John got out of the driver's seat, using what was left of its bonnet as a jump point. He pushed himself away, landing on the ground. He skidded, flailing his arms as he tried to stop. The Ghost sped of the cliff, and John came to a stop right on the edge. He watched the Ghost vanish into the mist below them, and took a deep breath.

" _We made it…"_ He thought, hardly believing it himself. He took a quick look around the area they had arrived in. It was a grassy hill top, with one side a sharp cliff face. Down the hillside beside them, was a vast jungle, as far as the eye could see.

"Chief, look there!" Cortana said, giving him a marker. He looked up, into the sky.

Above them, parting the clouds, was the largest ship he'd ever seen. He couldn't comprehend how massive it actually must have been. Its general shape was similar to a typical UNSC destroyer, though on a much larger scale. He spotted a name, written boldly on its side.

Infinity.

"Mayday. An unknown entity has taken control of the ship. We're without power, and on a collision course with an unidentified Forerunner planet." A voice called out over the radio.

John watched as the massive ship flew over him, its body blocking out his view of the sky. It continued to fall from the sky, its size making it seem as if it was falling slowly.

"Track its descent." John asked Cortana, eyes glued to the Infinity. It passed over them and began falling into the jungle.

"Marking. Impact predicted to be seventy seven point eight kilometers due north." Cortana informed him, sounding as awed as he felt. He suddenly felt like they were being watched.

He spun around, drawing his light rifle. Behind them, was the Didacts sphere. It rose above them, looming in the air. John knew he couldn't damage it, but kept his weapon pointed. The sphere fired off a scan, the large red energy wave passing through him and the ground he stood on. A moment later, it sped off, flying as fast speeds toward Infinity's crash site.

" _Samus is still on board…"_ He thought, then shook it off. Samus could take care of herself, he knew that. The crew of the Infinity on the other hand…

"You know where he's heading." Cortana said, sounding ticked off. John nodded.

"Same place we are."

* * *

"Where are you taking me?" Samus growled, struggling. She couldn't escape his gravity distortion, for lack of trying.

The Didact didn't reply, focused on flying his ship. They were speeding somewhere, but Samus couldn't tell where. The inside of the ship was just…orange. For someone who wore orange armor, even this was too much. The inside of the ship was relatively bare, save for the pedestal on which the Didact now stood on, and the entrance, which was a glowing orange hole in the center on the floor. Samus hovered right behind him, suspended in midair.

"Hey. Answer me." She said, glaring down at him. He turned his head slowly, red eyes boring into hers.

"I could kill you without a single thought, Aran." He said, his voice devoid of emotion. "Do not presume to be my equal."

"Pretty sure our history says otherwise." She said, trying to rile him up. If he let his guard down for one moment, she might be able to escape.

"Oh? You mean how I destroyed your world? Or how I turned your entire people into animals?" He said, a slight smile forming.

Samus had to resist showing that his words affected her. She sneered down at him, her blue eyes locking onto his red ones. The Didact laughed, before turning away.

"Dear Samus. You were humanities champion, and still you failed. You couldn't save them, you never could."

She tugged against her invisible bonds, wanting nothing more than to strangle the Forerunner. And then, an idea came to her.

"Guess we share that trait huh?" She said.

He turned, eyeing her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You couldn't save your people either." She said. "They all died, either to the Flood or to your own inventions."

He narrowed his eyes, stepping closer. "The Flood was you're doing."

"Humanity didn't create the Flood, we just dealt with it better than you did." She replied, trying to seem as casual as she could.

She swore she saw his eye quiver. "No, not humanity. You, Samus, are the reason the Flood existed."

She blinked. "What?"

"You toyed with something you didn't understand. Rather than study Phazon, you destroyed it, and corrupted it into something worse." He said, his voice edging on anger.

She narrowed her eyes. "Forerunners didn't come to the galaxy's aid when Phazon was ruining lives, worlds. I did what was needed."

"We are the galaxy's tenders, not you!" He shouted, his face an inch from her now. His eyes bored into her, expressing nothing but hate.

"Some guardians you were, couldn't even save yourselves." She said, staring him dead in the eye. And then she smiled. "At least my people survived."

He roared, swiping the back of his hand into her chest. She flew into one of the spheres walls, and collapsed. The Didact stepped down from his pedestal, glaring down at her. "Your people are extinct. You are as different from these humans as you are from an ape."

She smiled. "I know, I just wanted you to let me go."

He paused, before realizing his mistake. He went to gesture his hand toward her, but she moved faster. She ran for the exit portal, turning into her Morph ball as she did so. Just before she sped out, she dropped a power bomb at the portals entrance. She heard the Didact roar before passing through.

She flew out of the bottom of the ship, changing out of her Morph ball as she fell through the sky. Falling headfirst, she sped toward the ground. She realized she was above the jungle she had been in earlier, stretching as far as the eye could see. Above the jungle Canopy, a swarm of Covenant ships flew, all moving toward the one location. She turned her gaze to see where they were going, and gasped.

A massive ship loomed over the jungle canopy, so large that it was visible for miles around. Samus instantly knew what this ship was, and where it had come from.

"Lasky…" She muttered, worried. If the Infinity had crashed into Requiem, then things were bad, really bad.

She noticed that she was coming up on the ground, a small clearing in the jungle canopy. She flipped, bringing her feet down first. She activated her thrusters, slowing her descent down just enough. She collided with the ground below, sending dust and vegetation up into the air. She landed in a crouch, one knee down on the ground, and took a moment to breath. She rose and found she'd made a crater where she'd hit the ground. Looking around, she began wondering what direction to head in.

"Samus? Is that you?" Adam called over the radio, his voice panicked.

"Adam I'm here, I'm alright." She said, trying to calm him.

"I lost you when you went through the portal. Then I got the energy readings from the core…"

"Adam I'm fine. Takes more than an Alien overlord and an exploding planet to kill me." She said knowingly.

"True…" Adam admitted. "Anyway, I've tried to contact the Infinity, but radio's everywhere are malfunctioning."

"It's the Didact, he's jamming communications." She said, looking back up into the sky. Covenant ships flew past, all racing toward the Infinity. This wasn't good.

"We need to find Lasky." She said, planning her next course of action. "Do you know if he's on the Infinity now?"

"No, I got chatter about him leading a scouting run with Spartan fours before the radios died." He said. She cursed, he could be anywhere in this jungle. She heard faint sounds of Gunfire and alien roars not too far away.

"Alright, I'm going to go help what marines I can. Maybe a group might know more about Lasky. Keep the ship hidden, with this many Covenant in the sky I can't risk it, and you, being damaged.

"Will do. But Samus…what about John?"

She felt a jab in her chest. "I'll tell you later."

Adam knew her better than anyone, and knew when she needed space. "Of course. I'll keep you posted. Happy hunting Lady."

She was left alone in the jungle, suddenly aware of just how alone she was. The sounds of fighting nearby reached her ears again, and she narrowed her eyes. Time to fix that.

She ran through the jungle, speeding through the underbrush. The fighting noises got closer. Her thrusters kicked in and her speed increased, reaching her maximum speed.

She burst into another clearing to find a squad of marines fighting against Covenant forces. And kept running, shoulder barging into an Elite at the group's front. He didn't have time to react, Samus hitting him with full force. His body flew and fell a few meters away, bent at odd angles. She turned to face the other aliens, all of them taking a step back.

She raised her cannon and fired, her Wave beam tearing the Elites shields apart. They dropped to the ground, their bodies convulsing as they were electrocuted. A beam rifle shot hit her square in the head, removing a good chunk of her shielding. She turned and found the Jackal sniper in a tree above her. She charged an Ice beam shot, freezing the Jackal solid. It fell out of the tree, shattering into dozens of pieces. The Grunts all screamed and ran away from her. Her Power beam took care of them, quickly elimination the last few.

The clearing was silent, with Samus standing in the center, bodies all around her. The marines slowly moved out from their cover when they realized she wasn't one of them.

"You…You're Samus Aran." One of them said, as if he'd just found out it was Christmas.

She nodded. "Yep, in the flesh." She chuckled, de-activating her helm. She preferred to talk without it. She saw the usual reactions from the men, their eyes widening when they saw what she looked like underneath. She'd grown used to it.

"Alright, I need to find Commander Lasky. Do any of you know where he might be?" She asked them.

"I do." A man said, stepping forward. "Spartan Carmine, reporting for duty ma'am."

She raised her eyebrows. She hadn't noticed the man, who was a head higher than his squad or was wearing power armor. "Please, just Samus. I'm not an army official. What can you tell me?"

Carmine looked uncomfortable with using her name. "Yes ma- I mean, Samus. All Spartan teams were deployed to push back the enemy. Captain Del Rio believed that we could both protect the ship and perform a scouting run."

"What about Lasky?" Samus pressed.

"Commander Lasky was assigned with Commander Palmer for one of the scouting parties. I know the Commanders general location, though I can't radio her."

"Radio's won't work at the moment, no use in trying." She said, thinking.

"A lot of men are scattered throughout the jungle…" Carmine muttered. She stared at him, coming to a decision.

"Alright, I'll be accompanying your squad for a while longer. Carmine, do you think you could lead me to those coordinates?" She asked him. He nodded, placing his helmet back on.

"Alright." She continued. "New goal. We're getting out of here. We help out any other squads we come across, and find Lasky." She said. The marines cheered, happy to have her assistance.

"I'll take point." Carmine said. She nodded, activating her helm again. They began moving through the jungle, taking it slow. The marines couldn't move as fast as Carmine, and certainly not her.

"You were pretty damn impressive back there. Where did you learn to do those things?" He asked, ducking under a branch. She chuckled.

"When you're my age, you learn a thing or two." She joked. He looked like he was going to reply, when an explosion and shouting reached them, not too far away.

"Let's move it marines." Carmine ordered.

"I'll meet you there." Samus said, already sprinting off. She ran toward the noise, flying into a sort of natural path in the jungle, lined with trees. Marines were locked in heated battle with Prometheans, which Samus knew would be much more dangerous for the soldiers. She ran at a Knight, attempting to crush it like the Elite earlier. It saw her coming and roared, its face flaps folding back and revealing the human looking skull inside.

She collided into it, though it held its ground. It took a swing at her with its massive arm, but she ducked, sliding behind it. She charged her Plasma beam and fired, melting its back section. It roared and tried to turn, but its legs had failed, the joints melted into place. She finished it with a shot to the head, from close range. Its body began to disintegrate. She turned to find several more Knights and Crawlers coming for her. A hail of bullets met them, killing the Crawlers and halting the Knights advance. Samus turned to find Carmine had rallied the marines, who now aimed fire at the Knights.

She spotted more of them coming in from the distance. She ran for them, putting more distance between her and the marines. She changed her beam, charging it up and fired.

A small black ball flew right into the middle of the Knights group, before expanding, creating a miniature black hole. The knights were helpless as they were sucked in, their bodies breaking and twisting under the gravity. They vanished, and shortly after the black hole did too, a little crater where it was. Samus didn't typically use the Dark Burst, worried about being sucked in herself, but she was feeling it today.

"Good work." Carmine said, coming up behind her with the other marines. "One of these marines has seen Lasky recently."

One of them nodded. "Yes ma'am. Commander Lasky was with a group of Spartans, heading for some old Forerunner building."

"I've got the coordinates." Carmine said. She nodded, turning back to the marines.

"You guys come with us. After we find Lasky we can arrange evac for you." She said. None of them objected.

They continued toward the location, taking out stray Covenant and Prometheans that got in the way. They didn't encounter much resistance. Samus spotted several dead Elites and parts of Prometheans on the way, leading her to assume they were on the right track. It was minutes later that they found the building, surrounded by Prometheans. They were trying to pry a door open, firing Hardlight and using brute force. Samus interrupted them, a spray of Plasma and Wave beam shots finishing them off. The group met up outside the door

"Adam, can you open this door for us?" She asked.

"Working on it…there's something on the other side. Be ready."

The door slowly began to open. Samus raised her cannon, waiting to see her opponent. Behind her the marines, and Carmine, all readied their weapons.

The door opened up to reveal more armored soldiers, also with their weapons ready. The one in the center, right in front of her, pointed an alien rifle at her. He was much taller than the others, a good foot or two. Samus caught the flash of a gold visor and blinked. She couldn't believe it.

She lowered her cannon, and he lowered his rifle. The two stared at each other for what felt like eternity. And then, both Samus and the Master Chief said one thing to each other, at the same time.

"How?"

* * *

"Well, I'm happy to see that you're alright." Lasky said to Samus. She shrugged, brushing a lock of hair aside.

"As if I wouldn't be." She chuckled.

John watched the two converse, wondering exactly the kind of relationship the two shared. He'd ask Samus later.

After the door incident, Samus and her marines had been rushed inside. John had then told her how he'd escaped, and she told him. After being thrown about by the Didact, he secretly enjoyed hearing about how she'd tricked him. She'd then started taking to Lasky.

"Why did you come here? You knew I had it handled." She said, a slight Steele in her voice.

He sighed. "I know, but after the way you stormed out…"

"What, don't you trust me?" She said

"Why should he?" Another Spartan said, moving closer to her. Commander Palmer was the current Spartan leader. It was clear to John that her and Samus did not see eye to eye. "You aren't an official. You're not UNSC. What power does your word have?"

Samus narrowed her eyes. "Stay out of this Palmer."

"Alright enough!" Lasky shouted, looking stressed. "Samus, we'll talk about it later, but right now can we focus on getting the radio fixed?"

"Done." Cortana chimed in. "Adam and I have been busy while you all argued. Radios should be up and running now."

Adam chuckled, but didn't comment, a lot more conservative than Cortana. Lasky nodded and tried the radio.

"Infinity. This is Lasky. Pelican and recon teams are down. We have numerous casualties and require immediate assistance, over." He said, waiting for a reply.

"Finally." A voice said, sounding as if the person had waited too long for a meal order. John instantly disliked the voice. "Did you get the coordinates for the gravity well?"

"Affirmative sir but we're going to need a bus out of here." Lasky said, sounding exasperated.

"Make it happen!" The voice ordered, before going silent. Lasky tried again, but no answer. He groaned, rubbing his forehead.

"You were sent on a scouting run during an attack on the ship?" Cortana asked, sounding blown away.

Lasky nodded. "Captain thought Infinity could hold off the attack and provide us cover at the same time."

"A poor choice." Adam commented through Samus's speakers. She nodded in agreement.

"Tom, you can't get these wounded back to the ship on foot." She said softly, kneeling down beside him. He looked at her, nodding.

"We're going to run out of breathing room real quick…" He muttered. He looked up at John. "Don't suppose your any good at clearing out LZ's are you?"

John shrugged. "On occasion." He said. He didn't usually joke, but Samus was rubbing off on him already. "I'll go ahead and radio when it's all clear."

"I'll come too. Need someone to carry your kill count." Samus said, getting up and moving to stand beside him.

Lasky nodded. "Thanks guys, I appreciate it." He said, nodding to a door behind them.

John turned and made his way out, Samus right behind him.

"A quick scan confirms a small clearing not too far from here." Adam informed them.

"I see it. It's an ideal spot for an evac ship." Cortana commented. John was glad she had someone to talk to again. Well, besides himself.

They exited the building, emerging into a natural path through the trees. A couple of marines were busy with a couple of Crawlers. John took them out his Assault rifle. He'd picked it up back inside the building, never happier to have a human weapon again. More Crawlers emerged from the trees ahead, screeching as they ran at them. Samus stepped past him, charging her Wave beam and firing, a continuous stream of purple electricity bouncing between them. Some of them exploded, others vanished in purple light.

They continued up the path, which soon began twisting and turning a lot. The occasional enemy showed up, usually beaten moments later. Samus groaned.

"I screwed up." She said suddenly.

"What?" John replied, confused. They'd been doing very well, as he stepped over another fallen Knight.

"With the Didact. I shouldn't have let him get to me like that…" She muttered, firing at a Watcher. It tried to flee but couldn't, exploding shortly after.

"You did the best you could." John said, moving out of the way of a large tree.

"No I didn't! I could have done better. I should have." She said, before pausing. "I almost lost you again."

He sighed. "No. You did what you thought was best with what you knew. You didn't do anything wrong. As for me…that wasn't your fault either."

"You were floating in space for nearly five years John. I should have found you a lot sooner."

"For all we know, that was the Didacts doing. It's not a coincidence that you, I and the Infinity all crashed here." He said. She didn't reply.

"Did you two want to be left alone?" Cortana suddenly asked, sounding amused. John blinked momentarily forgetting she was here.

"I've always found a good argument can help strengthen a relationship." Adam added, sounding serious. John blinked, looking at Samus. She wore the same expression he was using, horror.

"We aren't in a relationship!" She shouted.

"I see." Adam replied.

She groaned, dropping the subject. John did too, though he was just more confused. Relationship? John didn't even know if he could feel those kind of things for a person, much less should.

They soon arrived in another clearing amongst the trees. A group of marines were at the other end of the clearing. Promethean remains indicated that serious fighting had been happening. They cheered at the sight of the duo.

"Oh thank god!" One of them said. "We can't get this door open, and we're nearly out of ammo."

Behind them was a massive door, no controls or any mechanisms visible to open it. A pedestal stood nearby, which gave John an idea.

"Cortana, think you could open the door?" He asked her. She chuckled.

"Please, give me a challenge." She said. He pulled her chip out and slotted it in. Her avatar appeared moments later, fiddling with invisible buttons. "Keep me defended."

"Incoming!" One of the marines shouted, right on queue. Knights poured into the area from the side John and Samus had come through. Several turrets lay entrenched near the doorway, and John jumped onto one. He opened fire, tearing through the Knights shields and picking off several Watchers and Crawlers. The Marines joined him, several also jumping onto turrets and creating a crossfire. Several of the Knights seemed undamaged by the turret fire. These ones Samus attacked, standing on a rock and firing super missiles. The explosives destroyed shields and armor alike, sending Knight Bodies flying.

"Cortana, what's the status on the door?" He asked, destroying another Watcher. The Prometheans were steadily advancing, and they were running out of ammo.

"You do your job, and I'll do mine!" She screamed at him, his helmet filling with static. He was too busy fighting to dwell on her anger, but it worried him.

Samus noticed, looking back at the door. She turned and ran for the pedestal, her visor flashing as she scanned

"No! No I can do it! I-"Cortana shouted, sounding furious.

The Door opened. The marines began to retreat, John bringing up the rear. Samus moved back in front of him, firing charged Plasma shots. The last Knight fell, and the area grew quiet, save for the ambient sounds of the jungle. Samus turned and stormed up to the pedestal, her helmet vanishing.

"What were you thinking?" She said, glaring down. Cortana appeared, looking equally as angry.

"I had it handled!"

"Had it handled? Those men could have died, because you won't admit you aren't operating at full capacity!"

Cortana looked shocked. John felt the same. "Samus…"

"No." She said, looking down at the A.I. "I'm sorry Cortana, I know what you're going through, but putting lives on the line to prove otherwise is wrong."

She knelt down in front of Cortana, making them at eye level. "I know. It's hard, accepting what's happening to you. But you have to put the lives of others, of John, first."

Cortana looked away, ashamed. "You're…your right. If I can't handle something…Could Adam…"

"It would be my pleasure." Adam said, his voice somber. Samus stood and looked at John.

"She's all yours."

She continued in through the doorway, leaving John and Cortana alone. John retrieved her chip, slotting it back into his helm.

"You alright?" He asked her.

"Yeah…yeah I'm ok. She's right." Cortana replied, sounding miserable.

"What do you think she meant by she knew what you were going through?" John asked. He couldn't picture how she'd gone through A.I rampancy.

"Could have been anything. Phazon corruption, the Death of the real Adam Malkovich. She's been through a lot."

John hadn't thought of any of those. "How do you know all of that?"

"Adam shared it with me. There's a lot, and it made me respect her more as a person. She's strong John, stronger than most."

He nodded, moving to catch up to the others. Samus turned to look at him as they walked through the narrow passage the doorway had led too.

"You both alright?" She asked. Her face was serious, though her eyes had softened slightly.

"Yeah, we're good." He replied, not saying any more. She nodded and turned, following the marines. They soon saw light coming from the other end.

"I'm detecting Covenant chatter…" Cortana said. "Somethings not right. I'm picking up Prometheans as well."

John moved to the front of the group, weapon ready. He rounded the corner to find a group of Grunts all looking up at a Knight. The Knight wasn't acting hostile, in fact it seemed to be giving orders. It spotted them a moment later and roared, vanishing. The Grunts began running away, picked off by the marines.

"The Covenant are working with the Prometheans?" Cortana said, stunned.

"Well, they do worship the Forerunners." Adam commented.

"Doesn't matter." Samus said, stepping out from behind John.

They area they had entered was a dead end, at least for them. A series of rocky outcroppings made for excellent cover, and the far side ended with a cliff face, perfect for a pelican to land on. Covenant had begun taking cover at the sight of them. John readied his weapon.

"Clear the area. Then we call extraction." He ordered. The marines stuck close, using numbers to take out smaller targets. John handled Elites and Jackals, using both his rifle and fallen Covenant weapons. Samus had run further into the clearing, taking on several Elites in close quarters. Despite only having the one hand, she was kicking their asses. She flipped over one, snapping its neck with her arm. She then lashed out a kick, falling another and crushing it with her boot. She charged into the last, wrapping an arm around its neck and firing her cannon and point blank range, finishing it.

She turned and cocked her hip. "So who do you think has the better kill count so far?"

John was about to reply when he saw a shimmer behind her. A Knight appeared out of thin air, this one larger than the usual. It had some kind of ornament on top of its shell, almost like feathers. He shouted a warning and she turned. The Knight shoved her into the ground, hard. She crashed into the earth, attempting to rise. It fired its Scattershot, the close range weapon hitting her square in the chest. Her shielding flared up, red in protest. She rolled away, coming to her feet. It fired at her again, but she dodged.

John's radar caught his attention, and he turned to find several more Knights attacking the marines. He ran to assist them, but one of the Knights intercepted him, crashing into him and causing them both to fall to the ground. It roared, face peeling back. John unloaded his rifle into its head, its body evaporating moments later. He got up, watching as the marines were slaughtered by the lone Knight.

"John!"

He turned, spotting Samus. She was still dealing with her large Knight, but she had disarmed it. It roared and swung its remaining arm at her. She flipped over it, throwing its weapon at John as she did so. He caught it, turning and blasting the last Knight with the Scattershot. Several of the marines had been killed. He sighed, but shrugged it off, they had to continue.

"Area's clear." Samus said, moving up beside him. "Want to call that evac?"

He nodded. "Lasky, we have an area that's secure. Call for extraction."

"Affirmative, thanks Chief." He replied over the radio.

It wasn't long before they heard the sounds of Pelican engines. The dropships appeared shortly after. The back ramps opened up, letting the marines climb aboard. Lasky and the Spartans arrived soon after, climbing onboard. John followed suit, with Samus about to step on.

"Samus." Lasky said. "Can you do something for me? I wouldn't ask, but it's urgent."

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"The Infinity's defenses have stopped working. I'd send a team up to check, but we could sustain irreversible damage by the time they arrive. Could you head to the top of Infinity and get the weapons working?"

She nodded. "Sure, give me a marker and I'll see what I can do."

She stepped back off the Pelican. "Adam, bring the ship around. We have a job to do." She said into her radio, before looking back up into the Pelican. "Don't go getting lost again John." She said, smirking.

"I'll let you know how much better my kill count is after." He told her. She scoffed, backing away as the ships lifted off.

"Knew we could rely on her." Lasky said, sitting down next to him. He nodded, remaining silent for the rest of the flight.

* * *

They touched down in the middle of a warzone. Covenant and Prometheans were locked in heated battle inside the Infinity. Spartans and marines held them off, locking down the corridors that had been breached. John and Lasky ran through a cleared hallway, making their way to the bridge.

"Commander Lasky! Sir, we need reinforcements down in the hanger!" A Spartan called out over the radio.

"Don't worry soldier, help is on the way." He said, turning to John.

"On it." John said, sprinting away. The Hanger wasn't too far, and he soon entered the Infinity's enormous hanger. Hundreds of Covenant were laying siege, trying to gain a foothold inside the ship. The soldiers fought valiantly, but were vastly outnumbered.

"We need something to even the odds." John muttered. He looked around, but all the heavy vehicles such as scorpions had been damaged beyond use.

"Go to this marker!" Cortana said. A marker appeared just in front of a small control panel next to a much larger panel in the floor. He ran, pressing the button. The floor slid open, revealing something very large underneath. A platform pushed it up, onto the ground level. John couldn't comprehend what it was exactly.

It was large, much larger than a tank. It seemed to stand on two legs, and it's 'arms' ended with weapon systems. It lowered itself, a hatch on its back opening up. Inside, John saw a pilot's chair.

"Climb in." Cortana instructed him.

He did so, sliding in through the hatch and landing on the seat. The hatch closed behind him as the controls lit up in front of him. He felt the thing move higher, legs extending. Target ridicules appeared on the screen, all aiming right at the Covenant.

"Welcome, to the Mantis IX armor defense system." Cortana said.

John smiled.

* * *

Samus landed on the metal ground with a thud. Not wanting to risk the ship stopping, she'd dropped out as Adam flew it over the Infinity's roof. She got up and gave a quick look around. No enemies seemed to be in sight, though the Didacts ship loomed in front of her, scanning the Infinity. He was probably stealing every bit of Information he could, but without the weapons online, he couldn't be stopped. Several Covenant cruisers hovered around the sphere, protecting it.

She looked away, looking for some kind of control panel. She spotted it, on the other side of the vast section of roof she was on. She ran, glancing at the weapons that loomed above her. Missile launchers, Plasma weapons and the massive MAC cannons were all present. Two MAC's were on her section. She noticed one had seemingly been torn off its hinges. She stopped running.

She scanned the MAC and discovered it had been forcibly removed. It also weighed a massive amount, meaning whatever did this was strong, very strong.

"Samus I'm detecting something heading right for your location. Something big. I suggest you move faster." Adam chimed in. he sounded alarmed.

She ran, sprinting for the controls. A shadow formed over her, and a peculiar sound reached her. If she didn't know any better, it sounded like wings…

Before she could reach the controls, she felt her spine tingle. She was struck by a massive force, which knocked her off her feet and took out a huge portion of her shielding. Groaning, she struggled back up, only to be flung again, this time being pinned to a wall by her attacker. A massive metal hand gripped her, squeezing. She fired blindly, the attack disorienting her. Her attacking roared, a noise so loud it shook her to her core, and threw her away.

She collided with the floor, feeling like she'd been run over multiple times. She got up, ignoring her bodies' protests and turned to face her attacker.

She finally got a good look at it. It was massive, easily larger than her ship. Evil red eyes glared down at her, as clawed hands scraped against the metal floor, creating large cuts in the armor. Large wings flapped, the membrane that was once there now replaced by orange Hardlight. A deadly tail thrashed about, its end a terrifying point. To Samus, it was so different, and yet, all so familiar.

She gasped, suddenly a child again on KL-2. And before her, was the monster responsible for her parent's deaths. For her endless torment. The being who had started it all.

Ridley.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey all! I would have had this chapter out alot sooner, but I fell ill, and couldnt write. Please forgive me!**

 **Nothing overly special about this one, just setting up for the end. Hope you guys still enjoy it all the same :)**

 **Please be sure to Fav/Follow if you enjoy, and leave a comment to let me know your thoughts, both good and bad. If I can improve, I need you guys to tell me how!**

* * *

Chapter 5: Infinity

"Master Chief?" This is Captain Del Rio. You've picked a hell of a time to rejoin us." The Voice said over John's radio.

John ceased firing the Mantis's main weapon, a heavy chain gun, and admired the destruction it had wrought. The Hanger was now in complete UNSC control, the Covenant having little to no chance against the firepower aimed at them. The marines and Spartans were now mopping up the stragglers.

"Sir. What's our status?" He asked. He recognized the voice as the one he disliked earlier, but kept that to himself. This wasn't the time.

"That flying orb took down our defenses, and is extracting data from the ships mainframes as we speak." Del Rio said, his voice sounding deeply agitated. John got the sense he didn't do well under pressure.

"Can we break the connection?" He asked.

Del Rio sighed. "The Commander sent that bounty hunter up there, but we haven't heard anything. I knew she wouldn't be up to the task."

John clenched his fist on the driver stick. Samus was certainly more capable than most, even him. Del Rio's opinion made him grate his teeth. But again, he kept it to himself. Because if Samus had gone up there, and hadn't reported in, something was wrong. Very wrong.

"Sir, permission to head to the upper hull and re-establish defenses?"

"Permission granted. I see you already found one of the Mantis's. Use it to make your way up. The decks of the Infinity are crawling with enemy contacts. Make your way through the maintenance causeway, it's the fastest way to the top deck."

The Captain signed off, leaving John to his own thoughts. Was Samus in trouble? He needed to get up there.

"Cortana, can you mark the way?" He asked her.

"Affirmative, marking the nearest entrance for you. We'd better get moving." She said, urgency in her voice.

John steered the Mantis away from the hanger, moving through an exit hatch and making his way down one of Infinity's many massive walkways. It was large enough that the Mantis could move around with room to spare. Below him, Spartans and Marines ran back and forth along the sides, moving to their current objectives. He reached the marker location, another large hatch that led into the service walkways.

He passed through, the door closing behind him. A group of Grunts stood before him, looking up and quivering. They turned and ran down the massive hallway. The hallway was dimly lit, and didn't have the finishing touches that the main walkways of the Infinity did. Steam hissed out of pipes, and the only illumination were the service lights.

John fired his machine turret at the group, the large rounds tearing through the Grunts. A couple of Knights appeared in the distance, roaring their challenge. John fired at them as well, the turrets ammo proving just as effective on Hardlight shields, popping them and shredding through the Knights. Another group of Grunts appeared on a walkway above him, and began firing Fuelrod Cannons. John backed the Mantis away, knowing the damage that they could do. He brought up his second weapon on the Mantis, a large multi missile firing system. He fired one right for the bridge. It exploded, the Grunts squealed as they fell, landing on the hard floor with a wet thud.

John stepped over them, continuing down a bend in the causeway. Around the corner were several more Knights as well as what looked like their own version of a turret. It acted on its own will, and fired a large Hardlight beam, which did substantial damage to the Mantis's shields. John fired a missile at it, the turret disintegrating like the other Promethean forces. He used the machine gun on the Knights, their shields failing them. This continued for some time, John moving the Mantis down the service causeway, stopping only to take out Covenant and Prometheans.

He soon reached a massive room, which looked to serve as a vehicle bay. The area was covered with enemies. Several Promethean turrets swiveled and fired as soon as he was visible. They took out a massive chunk of the Mantis's shielding, which thankfully recharged after a short delay. John took out the turrets, his missiles leaving streaks of smoke in the air. He turned his machine gun on the enemies below him, tearing through Promethean and Covenant alike. Grunts fired Fuelrod Cannons, which he tried to dodge as best he could.

Suddenly Adam's voice crackled through his helmet, accompanied by a lot of static. "Chief? John can you hear me?"

"I read you Adam." He said, using one of the Mantis's leg to crush an Elite.

"You need to get on the top deck of Infinity, now." He said, his voice urgent. "Covenant are deploying jammers for the weapon systems and radio. I've been trying to hail you since we landed."

"What's the status on Samus?" He asked.

"I don't have time to explain, but we need you up here. Now."

That was all John needed to hear. Leaving the stragglers behind, he pushed the mantis forward, down the final stretch of hallway.

"That doorway ahead leads to an elevator. That will take us topside." Cortana said. "Adam sounded pretty worried, what do you thinks is up there?"

"Can you check?" he asked her.

"Negative. The jammers Adam mentioned have made me blind, I can't help you here."

"Great…" he said, firing a barrage of missiles at the final group of enemies, who had made a final stand in front of the elevator. The explosives tore the group apart, leaving nothing but bodies and glowing fragments on the floor. John moved the mantis through the doorway, positioning it in the center of the elevator.

"Hang on, this will lead us right to the rooftop." Cortana told him. "I wonder what's up there to have Adam so spooked."

"Whatever it is…" John began. "We'll beat it. We always do."

* * *

Samus stared up at the creature responsible for making her who she was today.

Ridley glared down at her, a hiss escaping his beak like mouth. His massive wings flexed in anticipation, his tail twitching behind him.

Once Samus had gotten over the initial shock, she'd quickly realized that this wasn't the same Ridley she remembered. His body was made completely of metal, which glowed bright silver in the light. His eyes, usually red, were now the same bright orange as the Prometheans. The same went for his wings, the thin skin that used to be there replaced with orange Hardlight. The back of his throat glowed too.

Samus had tried to scan him but couldn't, her scan tech being blocked by the Didacts ship. It hovered some way in the distance, sending out massive scans of its own as it stole information from the Infinity. The Covenant had also come into play, several Phantoms dropping off troops. The Covenant had deployed more jammers, which seemed to target the Infinity's anti-ship weapons. They otherwise left her alone, possibly under orders not to interfere with Ridley.

"How are you alive?" Samus asked. She had too. Ridley should have been destroyed by the Halo's firing, as had every other form of life.

He growled, but didn't answer, which Samus found odd. The Ridley she remembered used to boast and taunt her constantly. But this one just stood there, as if waiting for an order. Samus looked up into his eyes, which were usually full of hate. Now they were dead, as if he didn't have thoughts of his own.

"Do you like it?" A voice rang out. Samus recognized it instantly. The Didact.

"What did you do?" She asked slowly, beginning to understand but wishing she didn't.

"I ascended him. Ridley had always served me well, I thought this was a just reward." The Didact said, obviously proud of his work.

"Is he even alive?" She asked. Now that she was thinking about it, he seemed as lifeless as the Prometheans he looked like.

But the Didact didn't answer her, his next words aimed at Ridley. "Destroy Samus Aran. Ensure nothing touches the human's defenses."

The Dragon roared, as if eager to finally move. He ran right for her, swiping a massive set of claws. She dodged, flipping over his hand. She landed and ran, firing Wave beam shots over her shoulder. Ridley didn't seem phased by the attacks, and continued to chase her. She kicked her thrusters in, dashing through a group of Covenant that didn't move in time. Ridley spread his wings, soaring after her. In the air, he was still faster.

"Samus, should I bring in the ship?" Adam asked, worried.

"No don't. Ridley could destroy it within seconds. I'll have to handle this alone."

"Are you sure? Maybe if I could get in contact with John…"

"No, absolutely not. Ridley's my problem, leave him to me." She said.

She stopped and turned, changing to her Plasma Beam. She fired, several shots landing on the flying monster. He roared, flying past her and landing ahead. She continued firing, but he used his wings as Hardlight shields, blocking the Plasma shots. She fired missiles, but they too detonated harmlessly on his wings. Roaring, he charged her, swiping once again. She jumped over him, but this time he lashed out with his tail. It caught her in the back, sending her into one of the smaller missile launchers on the roof. She smashed through it, leaving a large hole in the launcher, making it inoperable.

" _Damn, he's going to destroy all of the ships weapons if I don't stop him…"_ She through, struggling to get up. She looked at her shield bar, which was nearly depleted. The sound of wings alerted her, and she rolled out of the way just as claws crashed into the floor, leaving large gouges in the metal.

She fired, Plasms sizzling against his metal frame. He screeched and lifted off, his form vanishing into the clouds. She got up and waited, her eyes darting around to try and spot the elusive dragon. His form appeared briefly as he lowered, but then rose back up above the cloudbank. Samus then got an idea.

She turned and fired at some of the Covenant jammers, missiles destroying the small devices. Almost instantly, the smaller weapon systems came to life. All across the Infinity, Archer pods began hailing missile fire on the Covenant fleet surrounding the Didacts ship. The attack was unexpected, and many of the ships took critical damage, purple flames erupting to life and several ships beginning to fall to the earth. She heard Ridley roar and turned just in time to watch him collide with one of the pods.

He ripped it off its foundations, landing a short distance away from her. He screeched and threw it at her. She flipped, dodging the large missile pod with ease. But the throw had been a ruse. Ridley was right behind it, charging right for her. She didn't have time to move, as Ridley collided with her midair and crushed her into a wall. The sounds of metal on metal echoed. Samus's shielding flickered, then failed. She cursed.

Ridley grabbed her with a clawed hand, bringing her toward his mouth. His lips peeled back in an evil smile, more reminiscent of the original Ridley. She struggled, but couldn't free herself of his grasp. The Glow inside his mouth grew brighter, and he opened his jaws. Samus realized he must be about to fire a beam of some kind, but still couldn't free herself.

Just as the glow covered his whole mouth, something hit him from behind. His head lurched sideways, the large beam intended for Samus melting another one of the Archer pods nearby instead. Ridley turned to face his new attacker.

To Samus, it looked like a large robot. Its main body was a thick, ugly shape, with large spindly legs jutting out of its base. It had two arms, which seemed to end with different weapons attacked to each one. It was colored drab green, which pointed out it must have been UNSC. She vaguely remembered seeing it before. If she remembered correctly, it was called a Mantis.

"Samus, do you read?" John's voice said through her helmet. She felt a pit in her stomach.

"John? You can't be here, you need to go. Run!" She shouted, renewing her struggle in Ridley's grasp. The dragon had remained motionless, as if waiting for John to make the first move.

"Not an option." Joh said. A moment later, missiles came streaking out of one of the Mantis's weapons. Ridley roared in challenge, but was forced to use his wings to shield himself. John then fired some kind of massive machine gun. The rounds impacted on Ridley's wings. The Dragon roared as if in pain, dropping Samus. She collapsed on the ground, crying out from her injuries. She willed her body to move but it refused. Her HUD flashed warnings on her display.

Ridley suddenly took the offensive, unfurling his wings and using them to glide right for the Mantis. John tried to move away, but Ridley was fast. He collided with the machine, gripping it in his talons. John continued to fire into his chest, causing Ridley to roar in pain once again. His tail thrashed wildly, wrapping around one of the robots legs.

They crashed into the ground, a gold flash fading as the Mantis's shields failed. John fired more rockets, right into Ridley's chest. The Dragon screeched, before digging a clawed hand into the rocket arm, yanking it from its socket. Ridley threw it, the arm crashing into the ground away from the battle. John continued to fire the chain gun, which Ridley also began tearing at. His tail darted into the Mantis's main body, sparks and smoke beginning to emit from within. Ridley then used another arm and tore the opening wider, so he could fit his hand inside. Roaring in triumph, he reached in and pulled John out of the ruined vehicle.

Ridley threw him, John falling to the ground below. He got up slowly, turning to face the dragon. Behind Ridley, the robot exploded, illuminating his back. He narrowed his eyes as he peered down at John, his tail twitching.

" _He's going to kill him…"_ Samus realized. She couldn't let Ridley take another person from her. She wouldn't.

Willing her body to move, she got up with new found energy. She ran at Ridley, her thrusters boosting her speed. Running right at the dragon, she jumped and collided with the side of his head. He roared in surprise, not expecting the attack. Samus clung on, placing her boots on his lower jaw, and using her free hand to hold his upper one.

"Run!" She shouted at John, firing missiles down Ridley's throat. She saw John turn and run from the corner of her eye, as Ridley thrashed his head to try and shake her. He collided with a Phantom that had been lowering, crashing through it in a purple explosion. Samus continued firing, not letting up. Ridley had to die, here and now, or else he would go on to ruin more people's lives.

Ridley suddenly crashed the side of his head into a wall. Samus's back flared up in pain, and she cried out. She lost her grip, and fell out of his mouth, just as he gnashed his teeth together. The dragon now glared down at her, real anger in his eyes. Samus backed up slowly, Ridley matching her steps.

"Samus, move him in front of the MAC cannon." She heard John say quietly. She glanced and spotted that the cannon was behind her, on her left side. She continued to walk backway, never looking away from Ridley. The Dragon continued his steady advance, his eyes never leaving her.

She stopped just out of the way, leaving Ridley right in the MAC's line of fire. The Dragon puffed his chest, his mouth beginning to glow. Samus held her ground, praying that John was about to make his move.

"Cortana now!" She heard him shout. She looked over to see him in front of the MAC's controls.

"Firing!" Cortana shouted. Ridley didn't notice at first, didn't have enough time to react.

The MAC round shot out of the cannon faster than the eye could follow. It collided with Ridley, who screeched with shock. The massive bullet soared past them, flying right at the Didacts ship, with Ridley still pinned on its front. All around them, the other weapons all trained in on the Didacts sphere. John ran down to Samus, who was now panting. She was in bad shape, but she'd recover quickly. She looked up at the Didacts sphere.

The MAC round hit the ship, sending a red ripple as the ships shields absorbed the impact. Ridley had also survived, pushing the round off him and beginning to fly back toward the Infinity. At once, all the other MAC cannons and archer pods began firing, sending streaks that filled the sky right for the Didact. The shielding on the ship rippled.

"This is captain Del Rio. Get that thing away from my ship." The captain said through the radio, as the Didact was bombarded with weapon fire.

Amazingly, it worked. The Didact ceased scanning and began to turn, fleeing. He sped off, moving away from Infinity. Ridley followed suit, speeding after his master.

"Infinity, all hands. We are condition yellow. Stand down." Del Rio said, a sigh of relief present in his voice. "Section heads report in, begin damage assessment."

What few Covenant ships that had survived Infinity's retaliation sped away, in the same direction as the Didact. UNSC ships pursued them, gunning down the slower targets. The sounds of battle faded, leaving a clear blue sky above them. Samus felt like her body had been put through a grinder, but she was alive. That's what mattered most.

"What was that thing?" John asked, standing beside her. He had been incredibly calm about the whole situation. His cool head was one of the things she admired about him, sometimes wishing she could also stay calm in any situation.

"That was Ridley, an old enemy of mine. Was…" She muttered, removing her helm by hand. The breeze played with her hair, which helped calm her down.

"Was?" John asked.

"Whatever the Didact did to him, that's not the same monster I remember." She said, staring into space. "…Thanks by the way. I might have been in trouble if you hadn't showed up."

She heard John shift his weight. "Don't mention it. Will you tell me more about Ridley? The information will be handy should we encounter him again."

A flash of her nightmare filled her mind and she cringed, closing her eyes. She quickly remembered that John was there, watching her. "Another time maybe…"

John looked like he wanted to press the issue, but thankfully the Captain saved her the trouble. "Master Chief, well done. Report to the bridge. I would like to have a word."

John sighed. "I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I don't like that man."

Samus chuckled. "That makes two of us. Come on, I know the way to the bridge."

She turned and made her way to one of the service hatches. Infinity was a massive ship, and they'd need to find a service lift to get them there. Fortunately she knew of one nearby. She heard Johns heavy footsteps fall in behind her.

She was really glad to have him back.

* * *

"What I want to know people." Del Rio began, his voice teetering on anger. "Is where the hell did those things come from?"

Samus rolled her eyes. Del Rio had always been childish in her opinion, and this moment was no exception.

After arriving at the Infinity's bridge, the two had been joined by Lasky, Palmer and Del Rio for a discussion about their situation. The Captain was irritated that no one had known about the Prometheans, or the Didact. As if they could. Samus felt her blood begin to boil but repressed herself, wishing to remain civil.

They all stood around a holo table on the bridge, much like she had back in her ship. An image of a Knight was being displayed for everyone. Both Cortana and Adam was also present, studying the image like everyone else.

"It's possible that they're native to Requiem. Or whatever counts as native for a Forerunner A.I." Cortana commented.

"True, though the name interests me." Adam said. "Prometheans was the warrior cast of Forerunner society. What these things have to do with them though, I can't say."

Del Rio sighed, shaking his head and slowly walking around the table. "We've never seen this kind of offensive reaction from other installations…"

"Other installations?" John asked, confused. Samus had momentarily forgot he was out of the loop.

"Mr Lasky." Del Rio said, implying for him to explain.

Lasky moved to the tables controls and keyed in a command. The Knight vanished to be replaced with a Halo ring. "Infinity's mission has been to locate the remaining Halo rings. To establish permanent bases to study them for decommission."

He keyed in another command, the Halo vanishing and a research base appearing, imbedded in an asteroid. "We've got locations up and running around installations three and five but…" He hesitated. "Lately they've run into some setbacks."

"A science team got zapped excavating a Forerunner artifact. This sensor data was all that was left." Del Rio muttered, a series of glyphs appearing on the table.

"These symbols are a derivation of the Forerunner glyph system." Cortana commented, sounding curious.

"We managed to pull some co-ordinates, I'll give you three guesses where it led." Lasky joked. "As we got closer we began to pick up your distress signal. That's when I called Samus in."

She frowned, not wanting to be drawn into the conversation. Fortunately, Palmer saved her the trouble, pulling out a data pad and handing it to Del Rio.

"Sir, Gypsy Company is prepped and is ready to roll on your orders." She said, standing to attention beside him.

The Captain looked down at the pad, flicking through the information. He then handed it off to Lasky. "Commander, you take point. I want boots on the ground in sixty."

Samus couldn't quite understand what he was saying. Weren't they getting ready to chase the Didact? John voiced her confusion.

"Captain?" He said, perplexed.

"This is a first contact scenario, Master Chief. Priority, is to free Infinity from Requiems gravity well and file a threat assessment back at FLEETCOM." Del Rio said knowingly, as if taking to a child. Samus resisted the urge to hit him.

"You mean we're leaving?" Cortana said, stunned. Clearly she thought along the same lines as Samus had.

"Sir, Infinity drove the Didact back. He's vulnerable." Chief pointed out. Del Rio strode up to him, as if to glare into his eyes. His height difference however made Samus smirk, though she hid it well.

"He's not the only one." Del Rio said through gritted teeth. He began to walk away before turning back. "You know, I thought you of all people would appreciate living to fight another day."

Samus dropped her smirk, now replaced with a glare. She began to take a step, fully intending to show the Captain exactly what she thought of him, when Lasky caught her eye. He shook his head once, face normal but eyes alerted. She knew what he meant. She also noticed Palmer give her a hand stare. So she took a breath, staying in place.

The Captain strode out, leaving a stunned John and Cortana. As soon as he had walked out, everything was set into motion. John and Samus made their way to the hanger, marines and Spartans bustling about. They were directed to a Pelican loaded up with Spartans. Samus looked around in case she spotted the Spartan Carmine from earlier, but she couldn't see him. They sat down and waited as the Pelican closed its rear hatch and began to take off, leaving the Infinity.

* * *

They soon landed, rear hatch opening and everyone jumping out. John analyzed their surroundings, checking to see if any enemies were lying in wait for them. They had flown over a dry, arid region of the planet, the horizon marred with rocky outcrops and barren landscapes. They had landed in a canyon, hidden from prying eyes. John readied his weapon, a new Battle rifle he had picked back on Infinity. Around him the other Spartans did the same, readying weapons and checking armor. Samus stood some distance away, staring off into space. Since the encounter with Ridley, she had seemed…quiet. Unusually so. John liked to think he knew her well enough to know that something was bothering her. There was something she wasn't telling him about the dragon, but that would have to wait.

"It's a shame the Captain failed to mention we'd be going in blind." Cortana remarked sarcastically. John couldn't help but agree.

Del Rio had briefed them on the trip. They were to find several large anti air cannons that protected the gravity well. They had sprung up after Infinity's arrival, preventing them from getting close. They were to escort a massive ground vehicle called a Mammoth, which carried the firepower needed to deal with the AA cannons. When asked what Intel they had regarding enemy movement and defenses, the Captain had blown them off, implying it wouldn't be necessary. John had noticed Samus lose her cool back in the briefing, and he didn't envy her. He'd known this man for a couple of hours and he was already sick of him. He couldn't imagine four or five years.

"Master Chief? Spartan Sarah Palmer in Infinity's CIC. Commander Lasky's waiting for you on the Mammoth, it's just down the path in front of you." Palmer told him over the radio.

"Right. Spartans, move out." John ordered, pointing down the path. The Spartans moved on, leaving John and Samus to bring up the rear. The walk was short, and they soon moved into view of the Mammoth. They hadn't been lying, it was huge.

"Someone's over compensating" Cortana chuckled.

"Took the words right out of my mouth." Samus muttered.

It looked more like a base on wheels than a vehicle. The Mammoth was easily larger than Samus's gunship, or a Pelican. The Spartan team climbed inside through a front hatch that lowered as they approached. Lasky strode out, giving them both a smirk.

"You two ready to bring down a couple of particle cannons?" He asked, waving them inside.

Walking onto the forward ramp, John saw several vehicles parked inside, Warthogs and Mongooses to be precise. Lining the walls were weapons racks, with many different types of powerful UNSC weapons ready for use. Technicians stood in front of control panels, keeping the massive vehicle up and running.

"Gypsy Company. The Board is green. Let's shut down that gravity well so we can all go home." Del Rio called out over every ones radios.

Lasky nodded, ordering the techs to close up the Mammoth. The forward ramp closed up, sealing them inside. John felt the floor rumble as its massive engine powered up. He spotted Samus moving up a stairwell, heading for a doorway above them. He quickly followed her, making sure to grab a Sniper Rifle for himself along the way. Outside, on the Mammoths upper platform, John could appreciate just how high up they really were.

They drove slowly along a large cliff face. To their right was a rock wall, towering above them. And to the left, was a sheer drop, the ground hidden from view. The sky was orange, as if reflecting the bright earth below them. The faint noise of a dropship engine grew louder, as John looked up to find three Pelicans had joined them, flying slightly apart from them. They rounded a bend and found one of the AA cannons, a colossal weapon that rose into the sky. It was a large sphere, much like the turrets used against him on Infinity. It was supported by air, seemingly hovering of its own accord.

"Captain Del Rio, targeting Pelican are in position near the particle cannon, waiting for the Mammoths mini MAC to take it out." Palmer informed the Captain. One of the Pelicans broke formation, inching closer to the weapon. "Seven Six Six lose some altitude you're inside the kill box."

"Just a little more…" The Pilot muttered, seemingly unaware of the danger. John spotted the cannon suddenly fixate on the lone dropship, its large eye beginning to glow and charge up.

"Almost got target lock…"

A large beam of Hardlight suddenly ripped into the Pelican. The other ships swerved to try and avoid the attack, but they couldn't move fast enough. All of them were hit by the beam, the one that moved closer still in one piece. It fell from the sky like a rock, crashing into the ground ahead of them.

"Dammit! There goes out target lock." Lasky swore, staring at the crashed ship. Ahead of them, Covenant troops had begun setting up blockades. John spotted plasma turrets and sniper towers being set up.

"I can lock onto the AA cannon, can you use my suits target lock information?" Samus asked, staring up at the massive weapon.

"It's worth a try." Lasky said, giving her the go ahead.

John watched as her visor flashed, an indicator that she had switched visor modes. She stared up at the AA cannon.

"We have lock on, sending the Mammoth the data." Adam informed Lasky. The Commander nodded, moving to talked to the techs down below.

"It's working! Charging up MAC cannon." He exclaimed. The sounds of Plasma fire reached them, the Covenant now within firing range.

"I'll handle the Covenant. Keep that lock on Samus." John said, pulling out his sniper.

"What do you think I'm doing? Staring at clouds?" She said, irritated.

John ignored her, setting up the rifle. After calibrating the sights and settings, he tested it by firing at an Elites head. The shot hit right on target, piercing its shields and creating a little purple fountain on the Elites forehead. Grunts panicked after seeing this, and abandoned their posts, running away from the Mammoth. John focused on enemies that were firing back, clearing out a sniper tower before they could harm any troops onboard. He shot another Elite between the eyes, its lifeless body slumping out of its seat on a turret. He threw a grenade down into their encampment, watching as they scattered. The explosion set off more explosions, blowing up their entire blockade.

"Lock confirmed." Lasky said. "Fire at will."

John looked up just in time to see the AA cannon explode, pieces of it raining out of the sky. The soldiers aboard the Mammoth all shouted and cheered. The remaining Covenant below them scattered, moving away from the colossal vehicle.

"Good work." Lasky said to both John and Samus, who was now staring at a different patch of sky.

"Banshee's." She said, pointing. In the distance a large group of Banshee's flew toward the Mammoth.

"Damn, we can't let them get too close. Chief, grab a rocket launcher from below." Lasky ordered.

John moved for the service hatch that led inside. Samus was already firing, missiles streaking to meet their targets. The agile aircraft dodged and maneuvered through the rain of missiles, only a few receiving damage. John jumped down to the floor below, ignoring the stairs. He grabbed a rocket launcher from one of the weapon racks, sprinting back up the steps.

Once outside, John found the Banshee's had reached them, and were now swarming their location. The Mammoth continued to drive forward, under Lasky's orders, but it was slow, and the Banshee's kept up easily. Samus continued to fire missiles, a never ending stream of projectiles flying out of her cannon. From this range, the Banshee's had a harder time avoiding the attack, and several went down. John aimed his own launcher and fired, taking down another. They continued in this fashion until none of the Banshee's remained.

"I don't see any more" John commented, looking up at the sky.

"No, but look ahead." Samus pointed out.

John turned to look. Ahead of them, nestled within the canyon, was a Covenant blockade. A massive energy shield blocked the path ahead, leaving the Mammoth stranded for the time being. The Covenant had set up multiple turrets and portable shields as well. A Wraith's outer armor gleamed in the sunlight, as well as several Ghosts, which sped through the blockade.

"We need to clear them out." John said, looking over their fortifications for a weakness.

"The Wraith is the biggest concern." Samus muttered. She was right, the plasma mortar could do serious damage, no matter how big the target.

"Agreed. Do you think you could take it out?" He asked her. "I'll handle the foot soldiers from here. You focus on that tank."

"What about the Ghosts?" She asked him

"Once the Wraiths dealt with, I'll order the Mammoth to advance. We should be able to handle the Ghosts." Lasky said, walking off to tell the crew.

She nodded, stepping up to the edge of their platform. She chuckled. "Bet I get more kills than you."

And then she jumped. John raced to the edge, just in time to see her land. She didn't stop, up and running in less than a second. The Covenant spotted her immediately, and all guns began to train on her. John zoomed in with his Sniper, and began picking off the ground troops. He aimed for the leadership first, taking out a Golden Elite and several Zealots before reloading. The Covenant suddenly seemed confused. Several shot at Samus, but most were in disarray. John watched as she picked up speed, her thrusters propelling her forward. She ran right at the Wraith, not slowing down. John sniped the gunner out of his seat, leaving the driver defenseless. She collided into the Wraiths front, the outer armor buckling from the force. With one hand she pulled the pilots hatch off, tossing it aside. She then reached into the drivers cockpit and pulled the Elite out. He struggled in her grip, but couldn't escape. Samus didn't act at first, just watched as if it amused her. She then leveled her cannon next to its head, and fired, dropping the corpse a moment later.

If John's sniping had demoralized the enemy, they were now terrified of Samus. None tried to stand against her, even the Ghosts began speeding away. She fired at them, missiles detonating engines and sending them up in a puff of blue fire. The Mammoth pulled up slightly behind her, and John jumped down to join her.

"Overkill?" He asked her. She didn't answer, staring up at the shield barrier. John realized she must have been scanning.

"We can't take the shield out from this side, we need to continue on foot." She said through the radio.

"We can't just abandon the Mammoth, it's the only thing that can destroy the AA guns." Lasky pointed out.

Samus turned and pointed to a smaller off path, another canyon that extended from the one they stood in. "I'm betting that is where the Covenant went. John and I follow them, find a way around and disable the shield, letting the Mammoth through."

Lasky was silent for a moment. "Without either of you, we're a lot more open to attack."

"That's a chance you will have to take." Samus said. "I'm going."

John was torn, not sure who he should listen to.

"Chief, go with her." Lasky said after another moments silence, making the choice for him.

She had already begun walking into the next canyon, so John hurried to catch up with her. "You alright?" He asked her. She had been acting…odd.

"I'm fine. Don't you start worrying about me." She grunted, staring ahead.

"I need your head in the mission." He said. "What's wrong?"

She sighed. "I'll tell you after we deal with the gravity well, alright?"

He nodded. He didn't want to push her too far, talking had never been his strong suit.

They soon emerged into an open area within the canyon. Across from them, John spotted the Covenant. They were all crowded around a Forerunner building, which seemed to continue into the rock face behind it. A light bridge cut across a ravine in front of them, the only way to get across. John also spotted flickers of purple lights above them, nestled on the cliffs above.

"Snipers." John muttered, indicating with his head.

Samus looked up and spotted them, cursing. "Alright, same plan as before?"

He nodded. "If you think you'll be alright. Distract them long enough for me to take out the snipers, and I'll come join you."

She stared ahead, getting herself prepared. John adjusted the Sniper rifles zoom, aiming for one of the closer targets.

"When you're ready." He told her. She remained crouched for a moment, and then took off.

She was across the Lightbridge before she was even spotted. Several of the Covenant screamed when they noticed, all of them running for the safety of the building. She kept running, picking up speed. A Beam rifle shot hit her shoulder, making her shields flare red angrily. John immediately followed the trace from the shot, spotting the hidden sniper. He fired, taking it out. It squawked, plummeting to its death. Other snipers began firing at her too, giving away their position.

Samus had reached the base of the building by now. She jumped, clearing an entire floor and landing on the second platform. The Covenant began firing at her in a panic. She returned fire calmly, the few shots hitting her most likely doing minimal damage. John couldn't see all the action from his position, but the bodies flying through the air made him think she was alright.

He fired, taking out another Sniper. No more Beam rifle shots filled the air, leading John to believe he had taken them all out. He shot out of his hiding spot, making a run for the building. No sniper fire greeted him, confirming he had taken them all out. He switched to his Battle rifle as he ran, the weapon a lot more versatile than the Sniper. He made it to the base of the building, quickly ascending up the ramp to get to the second level.

"At this rate I won't even need to keep count. My kills are way ahead of yours." Samus said, a hint of a smirk in her voice.

Around her lay dead Covenant, all of which died in odd ways. Some were frozen, others had been reduced to ash. Some had just outright exploded, bits and pieces everywhere. John had to admire the handiwork, even if it was a bit to flash for him.

"I've had a bit of a head start. You know, since you were asleep for so long." He said, voice dead pan.

She didn't move. "Did you just try to joke?" She asked, sounding shocked.

He didn't answer, turning instead to face a doorway behind them, which continued into the Forerunner building. "I'm guessing we'll need to go through here to reach out destination."

"I'll agree with that." Samus said, moving closer to the door. It opened on its own, sliding into the walls silently.

They continued inside, greeted by more blue lights and shining metal walls. They moved through an endless amount of hallways, doors randomly opening and closing in front of them.

"I don't like this…" Cortana said to him quietly. "I feel like we're being led."

"We'll be alright." He reassured her, though truth was he'd come to the same conclusion.

He came to a stop in front of another open doorway. "Samus we need to stop."

She walked through the door, stopping on the other side. "Come on, we're almost there. Just a little-"

The door suddenly shut, separating them. John rushed forward, pounding on the door. "Samus? Samus!"

"I can't contact her or Adam. We're locked out!" Cortana said, sounding alarmed.

If she was pounding on the door as well, he couldn't hear her. He was now stuck in the hallway, no doors open for him. Suddenly, a door to his left opened, and a Sentinel hovered out. John aimed his weapon, but it didn't seem hostile. It moved toward him slowly, coming to a stop ten feet away. John took a step, and it retreated a step. He moved back and it advanced.

"I think it wants us to follow it." Cortana commented, curious.

"It's most likely a trap…" John pointed out, not lowering the rifle.

"Do you have a better idea?"

He didn't, so after a moment he lowered his weapon. The Sentinel didn't react, just hovered and waited for him to follow it. He moved toward it, following it through the doorway. On the other side were more doorways. The Sentinel moved toward one, waiting for them at its entrance. John followed, the door opening as he approached. They continued like this for some time, as the Sentinel led them to wherever its destination was.

They soon came out into a large chamber from a small side tunnel. More Sentinels waited for them, and John resisted the urge to pull out his rifle again. The all hovered near a massive doorway, all of them staring down at him. John suddenly got the feeling he had earlier when first encountering the Prometheans. He suddenly felt these Sentinels were serving someone else, the way the Prometheans had before the Didact awoke.

The door opened, and the Sentinels scattered, disappearing as quickly as they'd come. John stood, watching as the room beyond was revealed. Inside was another massive chamber, barren of any major features, save a pillar of light on the inside. It ascended into the ceiling.

John moved forward slowly. He was getting the strange sense he was meant to step inside the light.

"Chief, careful…" Cortana warned, but he had already set foot inside.

His vison was blinded, so powerful was this light. He had to shield his eyes, his visor failing to block it out. Slowly, over time, his vison began to return. He began making out shapes, a large pillar in front of him. The walls and ceiling had vanished, giving the appearance they were in the sky. Clouds floated at ground level near him, adding to his disorientation.

As his eyes continued to adjust, he realized he wasn't alone. A figure watched him from the top of the pillar, motionless. John went to reach for his gun only to find it wasn't there. He was defenseless. But the figure did not attack, instead floating off the platform and slowly moving toward him.

"A thousand lifetimes of planning…I can hardly believe it worked. Reclaimer." A voice called out to him. A woman's voice.

John squinted, making out a womanly shape from the figure before him. "Who are you?"

The being smiled, her eyes filled with warmth. "You do not know me, but I know you. I have spent my life fighting for humanity. Ensuring you would have a future."

She moved closer, staring through his visor and into his soul. "I am the Librarian."


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey all! Look, I'm not dead! i'm so sorry for not posting anything for...three weeks? Something like that. I was fully intending to post sooner, but then...well, halo 5 just had to come out didnt it? So again, I apologise, and hope this nice long chapter makes up for it. I promise to update much sooner from now on.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Six: Origins

Samus cursed, kicking the door again. She had first attempted to hack her way through, both using her Scan Visor and Adam, but both had come up fruitless. Angered, she had decided to try brute force, but that was more for her than actually affecting the door.

"It's no use Samus, we need to move on." Adam commented dryly.

"We can't just leave them. What if they're in danger?" Samus shot back, now glaring at the door.

Adam sighed. "John can handle himself. But the Infinity and Lasky are relying on us to take out the Gravity Well."

She paused. He was right. As if to add to his point, Lasky's voice suddenly crackled through her radio, right on queue.

"Chief? Samus? What's the status on that Shield? We're taking fire out here."

She cursed before replying. "This is Samus. Working on it."

She shot the door one last hateful look before turning and sprinting out another doorway. She'd come back if John didn't turn up soon. She'd blow the whole complex up if she had too.

Running through the winding hallways, she soon found her exit, a passage that led back outside. The light blinding at first, she quickly examined her surroundings. The Canyon that the complex had been in now opened up to an open valley, the canyon walls much further apart. On the far side, away from her, was a steep cliff face, leading down into more cracks in the earth.

The major feature of the area was an elevated rock face in the middle, which slanted on one side, making a rocky hill. Samus spotted flashes of purple and blue. Covenant. They must have been using this place as a staging area, or a landing site. She noticed large weapons caches as well as deactivated shield barriers.

An explosion caught her attention. She quickly swiveled right, and immediately spotted the massive shield. It was the same on blocking the Mammoth, which she spotted waiting on the other side. Explosions, both human and Covenant made, could be seen through the shimmer of the Shield.

"This is Samus. Eyes on the shield generator." She reported. The generator was a tiny thing, resting at the base of the massive shield.

"Take it out! We need to move!" Lasky shouted frantically, the sounds of gunfire in the background.

Samus ran for the shield, bringing her cannon to bare. As soon as she could lock on, she fired a missile. The missile soared through the air, smashing into the generator with no resistance. The Shield flickered for a moment, before dying. Lasky wasted no time, ordering the Mammoth to move forward. Samus moved out of the way as the massive vehicle rumbled passed her. She turned to look at the attacking force, a large group of Elites with explosive weapons, as well as several Ghosts and a Wraith.

She readied her cannon.

* * *

John stared at this alien, this Librarian, unsure what to do. One the one hand, she was an unknown entity. But on the other, John felt a strange sense of…trust.

She looked at him with sad eyes. "I had always planned to help Humanity attain the Mantle, the rights to Galactic peace. Though sadly…that plan is now under threat."

He remained silent, waiting for her to continue. To him, she had remarkably human features, with the exception of her nose, which lay flat on her face. Different from the Didact, she looked more natural. Again, he didn't know how he knew that, he just…did.

"The Didact plans to leave Requiem. Soon…You must not allow it." She said, urgency in her voice.

"Leaving?" John queried.

She nodded, gesturing with her hand. "He seeks this."

John turned to the object she pointed at, a hologram which hovered behind him. It looked like a massive monolith, with glowing lines of energy moving along it, all arriving at its center, which glared like an angry eye.

"The Composer." She explained. "A device which will allow him to finally contain the greatest threat ever faced by the Forerunners."

She paused, before looking down at him again. "You."

He turned back to face her, but his vison suddenly began to fade to black. Gasping, he fell to his knees as images began to flood his mind. At first they flashed too fast for him to make sense of, but they eventually slowed, showing events and places he couldn't comprehend. One of the images began to play out, a massive battle the likes of which he had never seen. Advanced ships fought for control of the skies, shooting Hardlight and an unknown substance at one another.

Below on the ground, troops in strange armor fought viciously. He recognized some as Forerunner, their armor distinct with its orange glow. But he couldn't recognize the opposing force. They wore bulky gray armor, with glowing blue visors. Their weapons seemed attached to their arms, though John quickly realized they were not, the weapons housing wrapped around the arm up to their elbow joint. The unknown force was slowly being pushed back. One took a round though his chest armor, which shattered like glass. He collapsed into the mud below, back first. Several other troops stopped to try and lift him, but were forced to retreat under the Forerunner attack. John spotted an insignia on the trooper's chest. It was a gold star, resting in a blue swirl. The writing was foreign, but he could somehow understand it.

" _Galactic Federation…"_ He thought, the pieces slowly coming together.

The troopers were human, ancient humans like Samus. He was seeing ancient history, more ancient than anything recorded by man. He had heard about the Federation from Samus, he knew that Adam had once been a commander, before being brought back as an A.I. The Federation were now on the retreat, the Promethean forces advancing at a steady pace. One fired into the chest of the downed trooper, finishing him.

The voice of the Librarian entered his mind, as clear as if she was standing beside him on this battlefield. _"Humanity spread into the stars with an unexpected, desperate violence. Entire systems fell before the Didacts Warrior Servants rose to halt the aggression."_

A wave of Promethean ships bore down on the fleeing troopers, the combined fire wiping out entire battalions. John had thought he had seen war on a massive scale before, but nothing like this. Injured troopers turned and fired at their pursuers, attempting to buy more time for their comrades. They didn't last long, Hardlight ripping through their armor in moments.

The last of the Troopers ran for dropships close by. More Forerunner ships flew toward them, prepared to wipe them out. But just before they could fire, several of them exploded. A large orange ship flew out of the smoke, firing several missiles at the other ships, forcing them to retreat. John's heart sped up.

" _Even in Humanity's darkest hours, hope existed…"_

The ship came to stop just above the ground, blocking them off from their attackers. A hatch lowered, and a tall, armored figure stepped out. The Prometheans stopped in their tracks. John recognized her instantly.

" _Samus was the hero of this age, just as you are in your time."_ The Librarian said fondly, the affection in her voice obvious.

At the mere sight of her, the troopers seemed to rally. All shouting war cries, they turned and ran toward the Prometheans, who were now retreating under the massive fire power Samus aimed at them. They advanced, Samus in the front. To John, the scene looked heroic, inspiring.

" _But hope can only take you so far…"_

The scene shifted. The same world, but the battle was over. The ground was littered with the debris of ships, and many, many bodies, to the point where the earth couldn't be seen. John noticed most of them were human, and that sense of heroism left him.

" _With the exception of a few hidden worlds, the Didact exhausted humanity after a millennia. His punishment…was severe."_

The scene shifted again, this time john could only see darkness. Then a flash darted past him. And then another. John realized that flashes were human silhouettes, running. Their faces were frozen in terror, mouths open in silent screams.

" _We had no way of knowing that the Forerunners were not your only enemy. Humanity hadn't been expanding…they were running."_

The figures running increased, until John felt like he was surrounded by hundreds. And then, they all just vanished, leaving him alone in the dark.

The scene shifted again, this time coming back to Samus. She was in a dark place, a cave or a tunnel. She was firing into the Darkness in front of her. The flashes from her arm cannon illuminated her face behind her visor. John could see the fear in her eyes, that frightful determination he'd seen on her before. He knew what caused her that fear. From out of the darkness crawled creatures hardly describable. Claws, teeth and flesh roared and screeched, an endless mass of bodies all fighting to reach her. The scene faded away just as they came within inches of her.

" _Weakened from our conflict, we were no match for the Parasite which pursued you. And with humanity serving the Didacts punishment…"_

The scene changed to what John recognized as Earth. It was bright, sunny. A beautiful day. He saw children playing in the streets of a small town, their parents going about their day to day business. It looked tranquil. But John recognized what was wrong in an instant. The people wore rags, some wearing nothing at all. They were shorter, thinner. They could hardly speak. The 'buildings' around them were made of crude wood and mud. And then John understood.

" _He didn't wipe them out…he made them primitive."_ He muttered aloud, though without his mouth.

The Librarian sighed. _"Yes, he feared humanity could not be trusted, but refused to wipe them out entirely. He was…different back then. I will explain in a moment."_

Before John could ask her what she meant, she continued. _"Desperate, and knowing that small pockets of humanity had avoided the Didacts wrath, we sent out messages, beacons, calling for aid. The humans had been partially successful in fighting the Flood, and thought we could defeat them together…"_

She sighed again. _"At first, we received no replies, no messages back. And then…"_

They now stood inside a hanger of some kind, it looked Forerunner. John saw a group of Forerunner soldiers, not promethean in design, lined up behind another figure. It was the Librarian, as she was then. In front of her stood Samus, her ship hovering close behind her. The Librarian smiled and offered a hand. Samus glared up at the woman, but she too slowly extended her hand to grasp the Forerunners.

" _Samus was a great ally in the fight against the Flood. She was…"_ The Librarian paused, her voice seeming to crack. _"She was much cared for."_

" _It sounds like she meant more to you than you're letting on."_ John pointed out.

She appeared before him, joining him in the vison. She looked sad, a single tear rolling down her cheek. _"We grew closer as the years went on. She was like the daughter I never had…"_ She blinked, composing herself before continuing. _"Samus accomplished much throughout her life, defeated many evils."_

The scenes shifted rapidly now. He saw Samus moving through a dark cavern, dodging and ducking weapons fire from unknown, insect like aliens. He saw her fighting a Giant monster in a room full of a glowing blue liquid. Her armor was black, her visor blood red. The Creature seemed to be oozing the liquid out of its body, the substance warping the air around it.

" _Phazon…"_ He thought.

The Librarian nodded. _"Yes. If left unchecked, it could have destroyed the Galaxy in a completely different way. The Forerunners didn't believe it was as dangerous as humanity claimed, but I knew the truth. Fortunately, Samus had the will power to fight. Though, not without cost..."_

The scene shifted again, this time they stood in some kind of massive arena, or quarry like area. John saw Samus running for cover, just as a massive shard of ice crashed through the spot she'd been standing. He turned to see another alien standing atop a pillar of ice, creating the ice out of nothing.

"Rundas please! It's me, Samus! Your friend!" He heard her shout. She peeked out of cover, before pulling back, avoiding an ice spear to the head.

'Rundas' didn't reply, instead leaping of his platform and summoning ice under his feet. The Alien then flew through the air, riding this ice. He moved around Samus's cover, hurling more ice at her. Looking closer, John could see a blue liquid moving under the Aliens icy skin. Rundas was corrupted by Phazon.

Samus dodged, rolling to the side. "Rundas! Try to remember!"

The Alien continued to move toward her, coming to a stop just above her. He peered down at her with a cold stare, no recognition in his 'eyes'

She sighed, letting out a raspy breath. "Don't make me do this…"

He raised his arms, summoning a colossal pillar of ice. His intention was clear, he wanted to crash it into her. She looked away, clenching her fist.

Then her armor began to glow. Lines of blue energy rippled across its surface, erupting from within the finer joints and creases of the suit itself. Her visor changed from its usual green to the same blue. The same as the Creature from earlier and Rundas. Samus was also corrupted.

She fired up at him, huge bursts of Phazon blasting into his body. He cried out in pain, falling to the earth. And still she fired. He tried in vain to stand, only to be blasted back down. She continued firing, even after he had stopped moving. She only stopped when her armor ceased its glow, returning to its traditional colors. She lowered her cannon, and dropped to her knees, staring at the now lifeless body of her friend.

Her helmet vanished, exposing her face. John could see the Phazon had been affecting her. One of her eyes was a lighter blue than the other, as well as what looked like light blue veins moving down her brow onto her cheek. She stared at Rundas a while longer, before raising her head to the sky and letting out a raw, animalistic cry of pain.

" _Despite all she lost, the suffering she had to endure, she always pulled through. Her will is one of the strongest I've ever seen."_ The Librarian said softly. _"Even corrupted by Phazon, she managed to defeat the other hunters, her friends, and track it down to the source."_

They now stood on a new world. The Planet seemed to be entirely composed of Phazon. He saw strange wildlife, aggressive and unnatural. Pools of the stuff lay everywhere. Even the sky was tinged the same light blue. Samus entered the scene from a nearby cave. John mentally gasped.

Her armor was almost completely blue, the Phazon lines of her armor much more prominent and eye gripping. Her visor was a light blue, darker on its edges, with what looked like cracks on its outskirts. The armor itself even seemed to have turned blue under the glowing energy. She entered the circle room they stood in, moving toward its center. As she did so, the floor opened up, blue light emitting from the hole in the floor. A being rose up from within. It wore blue armor, which looked strangely organic, as if it was its skin. It bore an arm cannon, and wore a helmet similar to Samus's. John got a sense that this thing could have been what Samus might have become, had she fallen to corruption.

Samus stopped, staring at the being. She was silent for but a moment.

"You took my friends." She muttered. Her voice was warped, distorted, as if her helmet speaker wasn't working. But he knew it had to be her actual voice. "You turned them against each other…You won't harm another life again. I won't let you."

She charged then, the Dark Samus also rushing toward her. The scene vanished just as the two clashed.

" _She defeated her duplicate, and destroyed Phaaze, ending the threat. None of us knew that small pockets of Phazon had survived. Cut off from its main source of renewal, it began to ferment, corrupt itself, until…"_

" _Until it became the Flood."_ John finished _._

She nodded. _"I truly believed with Samus by our side, we could have won the war. But we were growing desperate, the Flood taking entire systems in the blink of an eye. Final plans were made…"_

The scene then shifted to inside a small chamber, with several Forerunners gathered around a holo table. A small ring was projected on its surface. A Halo ring.

" _The Didact refused to relinquish our mantle of responsibility however. He would save all life in the galaxy…at a cost."_

" _What cost?"_ John asked.

She sighed. _"The Composer had been intended to help transcend the mortal world, digitizing our minds. It would have made us immortal. But the results were unstable, and any attempts to bring those minds back into organic bodies only created abominations._

Her eyes hardened now, as if the next part made her mad. _"Such moral concerns faded from the Didacts attention. The Flood only assimilated living tissue…The Composer would provide the Didact with his solution, and his revenge."_

They were now back on Earth, in the same village as before. However, all the villagers' eyes were on the sky. John looked up to see a large Forerunner ship, hovering a short distance away. A compartment opened up on the front of the ship, exposing the Composer. It began to glow, the sounds of it powering up reaching the village. John realized what was about to happen, wanted to warn the primitive humans to run. But of course he couldn't, it was nothing more than a vision, an echo of the past. The scene faded just before it fired.

John slowly opened his eyes, realizing he was back on the platform in the clouds. The Librarian hovered some distance away, looking concerned.

"The Prometheans…They're human." He muttered. He felt sick. The thought that the Didact could do that to people so simple made him shudder.

"They were only the beginning. He would have composed your entire race had we not removed the Composer form his care, and imprisoned him here." She said, moving closer to him.

She looked into his visor, her eyes lighting up with hope. "Reclaimer. When I indexed humanity for repopulation after the Halo's fired, I hid seeds from the Didact. Seeds which would lead to an eventuality…Your physical evolution. Your combat skin. Even your ancilla, Cortana."

John remained still, waiting for her to finish. "You, are part of a plan millennia long. You, and Samus, are the culmination of a thousand lifetimes of planning.

"Planning for what?" he asked. She opened her mouth to answer, but suddenly froze, her eyes widening in fear.

Around them, pillars rose out of the clouds, Knights standing atop them, they roared down at John, weapons powering up.

"Even in death, her meddling continues." The Didacts voice echoed. John whirled around, but couldn't see him. He had to be close by though.

The Librarian whirled to face him, her voice urgent. "Reclaimer, the gene song I placed within you contains many gifts, including an immunity to the composer. But it must be unlocked."

John didn't like the sound of that. "Can I defeat the Didact without it?"

She shook her head slowly.

"Then do it." He said. He was willing to undergo anything to stop this madman.

She nodded, eyes never leaving him. "Then prepare yourself…"

She raised a hand to his chest. "You must not mention me to Samus. I will reveal myself to her…in time."

John wanted to ask why this was, but then his vison went white, and a searing pain spread throughout his body. He wanted to cry out, but his breath left him. He could faintly hear his suits systems going haywire, but he hardly cared. He just wanted the pain to stop.

Suddenly, it vanished as quickly as it had come, and he collapsed onto a hard floor. He looked around, realizing he was back in the room he had entered originally. A screech caught his attention. He got up quickly, happy to see his weapon had been returned to him. A group of crawlers had barged in through the doorway opposite him, and had begun to run at him. He opened fire, his weapons rounds tearing through the Crawlers low armor.

"Chief! Can you hear me?" Cortana cried out, sounding panicked.

"I'm here." He said, barreling through another Crawler, crushing it under foot.

"What happened back there? You walked into the light and then I lost you. And your bio reading as all over the place." Cortana asked, concerned.

"It's a long story, but I know what the Didacts after." He grunted, running out of the room and into a hallway.

"I know that part, the Librarian filled me in while you were gone…" She said quietly, before static filled his ears. "What I want to know is what she did to you?"

John ignored her for the moment, turning down another hallway. Behind him, he could hear the cries of more Prometheans, and the sounds were growing closer. "We need an exit."

"There is a teleporter just down this corridor. I can get us close to the others if you hurry." Cortana said, already hard at work.

John rounded a bend and spotted the teleporter, which sprung to life shortly after. He raced through, just as the roars came from the corner he'd just run past. A brief moment of disorientation and he suddenly found himself in the middle of all-out war. He leapt to the side as a warthog sped pass, a Ghost hot on its tail. Above them, the Infinity hovered close by, blasting away at any ships that got too close.

"Chief? Is that you?" He heard Lasky say, surprise in his voice. John turned and spotted the Mammoth close behind him, its turrets on top providing supports for the troops ahead. Several Wraiths close by turned and aimed their mortars at the huge vehicle, but were taken out by Scorpion tanks.

"Affirmative sir." John said. "What's the situation with the gravity well?"

"Well it's nice to see you too." He heard Samus grumble. He looked around the battlefield until he spotted her, in the vanguard with other Spartans and Warthogs. She was blowing up any vehicles that got too close, providing cover for the Spartan forces to advance. "Where the heck have you been?"

"I'll explain later." He said. He remembered the Librarians words, and would remain silent about her to Samus. But he still needed to tell her and Infinity about the Didacts plan. But first, they needed to destroy the gravity well. "What's the situation?"

"The Covenant have been trying to slow our advance to the gravity well, and so far their succeeding." Lasky said. John jumped into the side seat of a passing hog, which advanced to the front lines. "We need to get past these guys so Samus can target the well. Infinity can destroy it after that."

"Understood." He said to Lasky, before turning to the driver. "Get me to the front."

"Yes sir!" The marine said, racing to join the others at the head of the battle. John snatched a Carbine from an Elite they passed, turning the weapon against its own. The Jeep slowed, turning to allow the marine on the turret to open fire.

John jumped out, crashing down on a Jackal beneath him. Sprinting, he made his way to the group of Spartans, blasting the Enemy with his Carbine. He slammed his fist into the back of a Grunts head, killing it instantly. The Grunt had carried a Fuel Rod cannon, which John snatched before it hit the ground. Holstering his Carbine, he aimed the cannon at advancing Ghosts. The large green bursts of energy tore the hovering vehicles apart like they were paper.

"Nice shot." He heard Samus say. "But can you beat this?"

He spotted her, running ahead of the Spartans. She was racing toward a Phantom, which was in the process of dropping off more troops. As if reacting to her presence, the Phantom began to move as she neared, troops still on board. Stopping just under the dropship, she knelt down and aimed her cannon at its belly, charging it. A moment later, she fired, a massive yellow explosion piercing through its center. The Phantom hovered a moment longer, before lurching to the side and crashing down behind her, crushing the troops it had just dropped off.

She got back up, placing her hand on her hip. John knew she was being cocky. He spotted an Elite emerge from the wreckage, drawing an energy sword. It began to advance slowly, clearly injured, but none the less willing to fight the Hunter. John retrieved the Carbine from his back and fired, his one shot passing clean through the aliens head. Samus turned, just in time to watch the now dead Elite drop to the floor.

"You missed one." He joked, running to catch up to her.

She scoffed. "Oh, my hero. Now hurry up, the gravity wells just around this bend."

"Hurry Samus, we'll distract the rest of the Covenant." Lasky radioed. Behind them, the battle raged on. The group of Spartans had now turned around, stopping any more enemies from reaching their location. It was just Samus and himself now.

"We're on it." John replied. They moved into a narrow ravine, which was full of whines and bends.

"So, mind telling me where you ran off to earlier?" She asked him off handedly.

John thought a moment before replying. "The short version is a Forerunner A.I informed Cortana and I that the Didact has a way to wipe out Humanity. I'll explain fully on the Infinity."

She nodded slowly, but John got the sense that she didn't fully believe him. He didn't have time to dwell on that however, as they soon found the gravity well. As they walked around another bend, they spotted it. In the distance, far down on the ground below them, sat the well. The well itself was massive, easily rising above them and into the clouds. It looked like a massive sphere, which seemed to have a ring of rocks hovering around it.

"Gravity well sighted." John informed the Infinity.

"Well, laser the target so we can leave already!" Del Rio shouted, clearly annoyed. John had momentarily forgotten about him, wondering how he would perceive the Didacts plan.

"Targeting now." Samus said through gritted teeth, obviously annoyed at the Captain. She stared down at the base of the well, her visor flashing for a moment. "Transmitting data."

"Data received." Del Rio confirmed. "Infinity, fire at will!"

The Infinity moved closer to the well, bearing down on the large object below it. Streaks of missiles rained down onto the structures base. The ship turned to face the structure, one of its massive MAC cannons charging up. The explosion that followed rocked John even from the distance he stood at, and the well collapsed in a loud shriek of metal. The rocks that floated around it fell to the ground, adding to the debris.

"Good work everyone! Lasky, I'm sending Pelicans to retrieve your forces. Let's go home everyone."

"That might not be such a good idea…" John muttered.

"What do you mean?" Samus asked him, her head slightly tilted. When he didn't answer, she deactivated her helmet and rolled her eyes at him.

"When we get on the ship right?"

She strolled past him, and after surveying the now settling wreckage of the gravity well, John followed after her.

* * *

"Infinity cannot handle that kind of punishment! Not again!" Del Rio shouted.

"This isn't about us! Or this ship!" Cortana shouted back just as loud.

Samus had to admit, the argument could be swung in both ways. Since they had been brought back to Infinity, John had finally spilled the beans on what had happened to him when they were separated. After everyone gathered on the bridge, John had explained that a Forerunner A.I had informed them that the Didact planned to use something called the Composer to wipe out humanity, and create a massive army of Promethean warriors, who were created from ancient humans.

To Samus, this made sense. She had known about the fate of ancient humanity, of course she had. But she had no idea the Didact had…twisted them into the Prometheans they had been fighting. If he got the chance to compose the entire human race…she shuddered at the thought.

This also explained Ridley, and why he seemed both familiar, and different. Clearly, the Didact had tested the Composer on him, warping him until he became another Promethean monster. Still, Ridley was a cut above the average Knight. He needed to be dealt with, and soon. Her attention was soon pulled back into the argument.

"Sir. We've seen what the Didact is capable of. If we let him leave this world, humanity will be at risk."

The Captain sighed, moving around they holo desk they stood before to face John. "Look, I understand what you think you saw-"

"Think?" Cortana shouted, outraged.

"Sir, with all do respect. I know what I saw." John said, his voice lacking any emotion. Samus now knew him well enough to know this meant he was suppressing an emotion.

" _Three guesses which…"_ She thought to herself.

The Captain bristled, marching right up to John. Being only at his chest height, Del Rio was not very intimidating. "And with all respect to you, soldier, I'm not willing to jeopardize my ship because of the hallucinations of an aging Spartan, and his malfunctioning A.I."

Samus clenched her fist. If there was one thing John deserved after years of fighting for the UNSC, it was respect. Del Rio was dismissing his claim because of age? She tried to contain her anger, but was sure she wore a dark expression. Still, she hadn't hit him yet, which she supposed was a point in her favor.

Lasky then spoke up. "Sir? What if he's right?"

The Captain turned to his second in command, contemplating. "As soon as we know we're air tight, I want a course laid to the nearest station available. I want a warning beacon prepared."

Suddenly, the lights began to flicker. Samus glanced around, trying to find the source. The holo table began to glow brighter, becoming the only light in the bridge. Cortana began flickering red, her expression one of utter rage.

"I. Will. Not. Allow. You. To. Leave. This. Planet!"

A blast of electricity shot out of the table. Samus's shield flickered just slightly, the damage negligible, but she was shocked none the less. She knew Cortana could get emotional, but…nothing like this. The lights turned back on, leaving a shocked Cortana looking around at them all.

"I didn't mean…I didn't mean to do that…"

She continued talking, as if to herself. Del Rio marched up to Lasky, his expression one of business. "Commander Lasky, under UNSC article 12/11572, I am ordering you to remove that A.I's data chip and retire it for final dispensation."

Lasky hesitated, looking down at Cortana, as shocked as the rest of them. Cortana continued to talk to herself, looking on the verge of tears now. The Captain grew impatient.

"Remove the chip now, commander."

Lasky gave her a look that said sorry, before slowly reaching for her data chip in the holo table. Before he could however, a large gauntleted hand reached it first. John withdrew Cortana and held her in his closed fist, staring down at the Captain. Del Rio glared up into his visor, taking another step closer.

"Give. Me. That. Chip." He said through his teeth.

John moved his hand up to his helmet, inserting her chip into the back of his head. "The Didact has to be stopped. If you won't do that, I will."

The Captain looked on the verge of exploding, his face red and eyes furious. "I, am ordering you, to surrender that A.I!"

John took a step forward. The movement itself wasn't threatening, but the intent was clear. Del Rio quickly took several steps back, momentarily afraid. In what might have been his first and only act of defiance, he spoke.

"No sir."

The Captains anger overwhelmed him. He snarled, whirling to face Palmer, who had been quietly observing. "Arrest him! Arrest that man!"

Palmer took a reluctant step forward, but Samus beat her to it. She stepped right into her path, glaring at the Spartan IV. "I don't think so."

Both woman glared at each other, both waiting for the first to make a move. Lasky moved to try and separate them. Samus moved first, striding over to stand beside John. Palmer didn't move, aware that she couldn't win this fight.

John turned to Lasky. "Get word to Earth that trouble is coming. We'll do what we can from here."

He then turned and strolled out. Samus gave one final look to each person in the room. Del Rio glared at her.

"You're committing treason." He said quietly to her. She snarled at him.

"I'm not UNSC, remember?" She pointed out, turning to follow John out.

"Don't think you'll be safe forever, Miss Aran." He said. She stopped in the door way. She looked over her shoulder to glare at the Captain one last time, before moving down the hallway after John.

* * *

John stared out of the window at the world outside. Infinity was hovering high in Requiems 'sky', preparing to leave the planet. A small, fake sun hung in the sky, floating a little ways off from the ships position. It had begun fading, giving the illusion of night settling in. The idea of this planet still confused him, but he didn't dwell on it. He turned to prepare an Assault Rifle, checking the weapons magazine and stocking up on ammo.

Cortana looked out the window as well, from a small holo pedestal nearby. "I can give you over forty thousand reasons why I know that sun isn't real. But for all that, I will never know if it looks real…if it feels real."

She turned to look at him, her eyes sad. "Before this is all over, promise me you'll figure out which one of us is the machine?"

John didn't reply, unsure how to answer. The sound of approaching footsteps on the metal floor saved him from a reply. He subconsciously gripped his gun a little tighter.

Samus sped around the corner, her stride quick. John relaxed slightly. She stopped in front of them, expression serious.

"We need to leave, now." She said, glancing around. "I'm sure the Captain has been thinking of a way to detain us, so we need to go before Infinity is ready."

"How?" He asked her.

She rolled her eyes. "We leave in my ship. We can bunker down for the night, and plan our strategy to deal with the Didact. But we need to go now."

John nodded. He'd never disobeyed a direct order before his confrontation with the Captain, but this was bigger than the UNSC, or chain of command. Samus understood that, she always had. John finally understood her point of view, though he could never live the life she did. He'd deal with the consequences after they defeated the Didact.

They marched toward the hanger bay, marines and navy personal moving aside for the two huge armored individuals. Upon entering the hanger, John immediately spotted Samus's ship, as bright orange as her armor. He also saw the line of Spartan IV's that stood in their way, led by Commander Palmer.

"You two are not leaving this ship." She commanded. "Samus Aran is a civilian, and does not have any authority here."

"Civilian?" Samus remarked, raising a brow. She took a step toward the Spartan line. "You know, you might play at being a Spartan like my friend here, but in comparison, not very impressive."

Palmer's expression darkened. John imagined the other Spartans did as well, but Samus wasn't done yet. "Now, why don't you stand aside so the real heroes can go do what needs to be done, while you run along and pretend to be 'real' heroes?"

Palmer moved fast, surprisingly fast. She launched a punch right into Samus's unprotected face. She cried out in surprise, but recovered quick. Grabbing Palmers gauntleted hand with her own, Samus swung the Spartan over her shoulder, bringing her crashing into the ground. She then went to pin Palmer, but the Spartan lashed out with a quick kick to the head. Samus jumped back, out of reach. Her lip was bleeding, a bright crimson trail moving down her chin and neck.

Palmer got back up, moving into a combat stance. The two glared at each other, analyzing. The Spartans didn't move, unsure how to act. John also remained still, feeling this was something that Samus wanted to do on her own. He saw navy personal running out of the hanger, and knew they had little time left.

Palmer lunged again, but this time Samus was ready. With murder in her eyes, she twisted her body to the side, avoiding the punch. She then lashed out with a kick of her own, the sounds of their armor colliding creating a loud bang, which echoed throughout the hanger. Palmer cried out, clutching her side. The Armor had dented from the force of Samus's blow. But she wasn't done yet. She moved to slam her fist into Palmers chest, but the Spartan dodged. Palmer tried to counter with a fist of her own, but Samus grabbed her arm and pulled her closer. Palmer lost her balance for one second, but it was all Samus needed. She swung her cannon toward the Spartans head, knocking her onto her back.

Palmer seemed to struggle concentrating, John guessed she had a concussion. Samus then stepped on her chest, pinning her to the floor. She then raised her cannon, the weapon charging up. The Spartans now looked anxious, all of them looking at one another.

" _No…"_ John thought. Palmer might have been annoying, but this was wrong, even he knew that.

As if she could hear his thoughts, she looked up at him, her weapon aimed at Palmers chest. Her eyes looked dull, as if there was no thought behind them. Then slowly, she blinked, and life returned to her eyes. She looked back down at Palmer, who was still struggling to regain consciousness.

"Move." She growled at the other Spartans. They all complied, moving out of her way. She looked down at Palmer one last time before lowering her cannon, the weapon powering down. She turned and marched to her ship, not looking back. John moved to follow her, looking down at Palmer as he did. She was in bad shape, and would need medical attention, but she was alive.

John moved onto the ships lift with Samus. She didn't look at him. They rose into the belly of her gunship, the lights and systems springing to life as they entered. She immediately moved toward a holo table in the center of the ship. John did a quick look around, noting the ship had three rooms. One seemed to be a bathroom, another a small bunk. The main room served as both her bridge, cockpit and seemingly kitchen, as John noticed something similar to a fridge.

"Adam, prep for launch. We need to go yesterday." She said, entering a few keys on the keypad alongside the holo table. Adam sprung to life, looking as sharp and crisp as when John saw him last.

"Already done, we'll be out of here in a few moments." He informed her. John hadn't even felt the ship lift off, but looking through the cockpits window, he could see them rushing out of the Infinity's hold.

Soon they were in the open sky, the ship slowing to a halt. Samus leant on the table, sighing. She touched her lip, where Palmer had struck her. Her hand came away sticky from dried blood.

"Find us a suitable landing zone for the night Adam." She said quietly. Adam didn't reply, already working on it. She suddenly looked up at John, as if she'd forgotten he was there. "Sorry, this is your first time on board isn't it?"

He nodded, still standing inside the lift. She laughed, gesturing him to come out. He slowly moved out of the lift, aware that his head was just short of touching the ceiling.

"Sorry, forgot how tall you were." She laughed. "Well, I'd give you the grand tour, but it's not terribly grand. Still…its home."

"It's…nice." John tried. Samus smirked at his attempt of a compliment.

"The Infinity had just left Requiem, we're one our own now." Adam informed them. "I've also found a suitable landing sight, hidden from prying eyes. Already setting a course."

Samus nodded. "Good." She said, taking a step back from the table.

John couldn't help but notice the dried blood on her chin and neck. "Do you have a medical cabinet?"

She blinked. "Yeah, under my bunk. Why?"

He turned without explaining, moving into the tiny bedroom and retrieving a large box with a medical insignia on it. Opening it up, John was relieved to find most of the medical supplies were UNSC standard, though he spotted a few unknown objects.

Moving back into the main room with a small canister of Biofoam and a cloth, he come to stand in front of her. "This will help with the cut."

"John its fine."

He raised an arm to tilt her head toward him. He tried to find the point where Palmer had struck her lip, but couldn't find it. He used the cloth to wipe away most of the Blood, but he still couldn't find the wound. It was like…it was just gone.

"How…" he asked.

She took a step back, smirking slightly. "It's healed already. Humans used to be a lot more durable, remember?"

He didn't know what to say, so he looked down at the now blooded cloth. "Sorry."

"It's alright, thanks anyway." She said, glancing around the small cabin. "Well, I'm going to go freshen up. I'll be back out in a moment."

Her armor vanishing, leaving her in her Zero Suit, she moved toward the bathroom, closing the door behind her. John could hear the faint sounds of a shower turning on from behind it. He hadn't had a shower in a long time…

Adam appeared, as if reading his thoughts. "The hot water is self-replicating, you can have one too after if you wish sir."

John nodded, before Cortana spoke up. "Good, I imagine this guy stinks something fierce."

Adam chuckled. "You can plug Cortana into the holo table if you wish, might be nice to share the ship for a while."

"I promise not to break anything." Cortana joked. John removed her from his head and placed the chip into the table, Cortana appearing beside Adam. "Oh wow, this ship's design is so advanced! This might be even more advanced then the tech the Forerunners had."

"It was a joint project." Adam explained. "Designed by both Humanity and the Chozo people."

John paused at that. He was sure Samus had mentioned them before. "The Chozo?"

Adam nodded. "Yes, an ancient race that predates both Human and Forerunner. They chose a simplistic life, though were capable of technological wonders. It was them who took Samus in when she was orphaned as a child."

John knew how that felt. "What happened to her parents?"

Adam didn't reply at first. "I'm not sure I'm at liberty to say."

"Save it for later." Samus said.

John turned to find her exiting the bathroom door, along with a lot of steam. She wore a baggy singlet and very short, tight pants. John felt vaguely uncomfortable, but reminded himself that this was her home. Her hair, usually done up in her iconic ponytail, was down, droplets of water trickling down. She padded barefoot toward them. John remembered that without her armor, she was rather short. Her head was level with his shoulders.

"Well, we might as well get some shut eye. We can wake up early and make our plan." She said, looking up at the Spartan. "You can have the bunk, I'm ok with sleeping in the pilot's chair. I typically do anyway."

He nodded, looking over at the bathroom. "May I use the shower?" He asked slowly. He wasn't used to this…normality. But, he didn't want to just stand around like a stone all night. Might as well enjoy the luxury while it lasted.

"Sure. I'm sure by now Adam went ahead and explained about the hot water, he loves to for some reason." She said. "I'm gonna get some shut eye."

And with that, she moved passed him to collapse in her large pilots chair, swiveling it around to face the cockpit. John hesitated a moment, before moving over to a corner of the ship that remained bare. With a sigh, he began to slowly remove his armor. It usually took a team of technicians to remove the suit safely, but all Spartan II personal were trained in its removal, to ensure it remained in top condition for extended time in the field.

He began with the outer, bulky armor pieces, placing them neatly on the floor. He then worked on removing the under armor, less thing pieces of metal that protected his vulnerable areas. He then took off his helmet, feeling the recycled air on his face. The feeling was odd, and he felt strangely vulnerable without his armor. He glanced over at Samus, but she was hidden by her large chair, probably asleep.

Clad in only his under mesh, a tough black material, he moved for the bathroom, shutting the door quietly behind him. The room was more spacious than he first thought, complete with a shower, sink and a toilet. He noticed a dry towel hung on the rack nearby. Had Samus guessed he'd want a shower?

Removing his under suit, he now stood fully exposed for the first time in a long time. He caught his reflection in the mirror. His skin was white, nearly never seeing the light of day. His body, thickly muscled, was covered in scars and marks from his alterations. His brown hair was cropped short, a UNSC standard. He didn't think his face was remarkable, seemingly average.

Turning away from the mirror, he moved into the shower. Turning the hot tap, he was blasted with what felt like to him the best feeling he'd ever felt. All of his aches, and pains, just seemed to wash away with the water. For a few minutes he simply stood there, the soothing feeling of the heat and steam giving him bliss. He looked around the shower to try and find soap, and was amused to discover that she had both soap and shampoo, both UNSC issued.

" _How much stuff does she get from the UNSC?"_ He thought to himself.

Reaching for the shampoo, he used a little amount and scrubbed his hair, the feeling of contact on his head both strange and enjoyable. He rinsed off, before quickly scrubbing himself with the soap. After he washed, he reluctantly turned the shower off. Stepping out, he grabbed the dry towel and began drying himself off. The Fabric was some of scratchy, probably UNSC as well, but he didn't mind. After drying off, he started putting his under suit on, the only clothing he had.

Satisfied with his shower, he opened the bathroom door. He stepped out, making his way to the small bunkroom when a noise caught his attention. It had sounded like a murmur. John instantly became alert. He heard it again, louder this time, and realized it was Samus's voice. He looked at the chair she rested in, though he couldn't see her. She spoke again, this time muttering a word. John's curiosity got the better of him, and he slowly padded toward the chair.

Moving into the cockpit, he found Samus curled up in her seat, in an almost fetal position. Her eye brows creased. She must have been dreaming, John realized.

"Ridley…" She muttered.

John frowned. She was dreaming about that Dragon creature? He knew that she had seen it before, but she wouldn't answer him before when he asked. Her breathing began to grow more frantic, her fingers twitching into little fists.

"Not again…" He heard Adam say quietly.

John turned to find him on the table, the only source of light in the room. "Adam?"

"She's been having nightmares recently. She won't talk to me about them…" He said sadly.

Samus's breathing continued to speed up, to the point where she was hyperventilating. John knelt down beside her, unsure of what to do. Suddenly she screamed, and shot up out of her chair, looking around frightfully. She didn't even notice him at first. After a few seconds she blinked a few time, her breathing slowing down. She clutched her forehead, sounding on the verge of tears.

"Are you alright?" He asked quietly. She looked down sharply, noticing him.

"John? Is that you? What are…?" She began, before her eyes widened in understanding. A ghost of a smile touched her lips. "I'd almost forgotten what you look like without your armor."

"Same here." He joked. "But seriously, you ok?"

She nodded, thought he could tell she was far from ok. "I'm fine, just need a minute."

"Was it about Ridley?" John asked.

She narrowed her eyes. "I said I'm fine, John."

That felt like a dismissal, so John rose and moved away from the chair. He heard Samus sigh, and then the sounds of the chair swiveling around. "Ok wait…I was…I was dreaming about my parents."

This caught John's attention. "You mentioned they were killed by the Forerunners, back on Earth."

She looked surprised he had remembered. "That's right, though I left a detail of two out. The Forerunners did destroy my world, along with its populace. But they were led by a horrible being, one who still haunts my dreams after all this time…"

"Ridley." John finished. She nodded.

"Ridley back then…he was evil. There is no other word to describe him. He killed my parents, in front of me. He would have done the same to me…had it not been for Old Bird."

John took a stab at who Old Bird might be. "A Chozo?"

"Yeah. He saved me, smuggled me off world and away from Ridley. He raised me to be the warrior I am today. Without him…I wouldn't be here."

She hugged herself, looking miserable. It was clear she had been needing to talk about this for a while.

"You know, if anyone can relate to you, it's me." He told her. She peered at him for a moment, before understanding. That faint smile returned to her lips.

"Here's to the orphans then." She said quietly, looking back at her chair. "You can go get some shut eye if you want, I'll stay up and prepare a few things."

He shook his head. "Sorry, but your bed looks too comfy, won't be able to sleep."

He moved toward the holo table. "Why don't we plan our attack now? No point wasting time on sleep anyway."

She slowly moved to the table too, that smile still lingering. "Adam, do you have the Didacts location?"

"Yes, he is located not too far from Infinity's initial departure site. I'll mark it on the map."

A large map of Requiem appeared, with a small red dot popping up. A blue dot showed their location. Samus frowned. "Well, any ideas?"

John smiled, leaning down on the table and analyzing the surrounding area.

"Alright, here's the plan…"


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey all! Sorry for the wait, but the good news is I've actually been working on multiple chapters, and should have more out very soon!**

 **Anyways, I dont actually have much to say, so I'll let you jump right in. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 7: Split

"Drop the ships speed Adam, keep our thermals hidden." Samus ordered, entering a few commands into the ships flight console.

She looked out the main windshield at the surrounding area. They now slowly navigated the massive floating pillars that dotted Requiems sky. The Didact was close, his sphere shaped ship, called a Cryptum, was in open sky, above a massive opening in the ground. According to Adam, a large Forerunner ship rested underneath. The Didact would have to connect his Cryptum to activate it, let alone fly it. That would take time, time Samus and John would use to their advantage.

John sat in the back of the ship, readying his armor and weapons. She glanced over her shoulder at him, eyeing him as he re-assembled his jigsaw of a suit. Samus couldn't imagine having to pull her armor off piece by piece, looked like a chore. She turned her attention back to the main screen.

"Any suitable landing zones?" She asked Adam.

"Yes. I've got two ideal places, one in each pillar. Inside will be security consoles that need to be disabled. You will bring me to one, and John will bring Cortana to another."

She nodded. The plan they had cooked up last night was that they would move the positions of the monolithic pillars into a collision course with the Didacts ship while it powered up. If successful, he would be stranded on Requiem, his ship inoperable.

"Alright. John, I'll be dropping you off first." She said, looking back at him again.

Fully suited up, he nodded, slinging his assault rifle over his shoulder. He made his way over to the cockpit, visor looking out the viewing screen. "How soon until we hit the first objective?"

"Almost there now, get ready Spartan." Adam said, putting on his commander voice.

John turned and made his way to the ships exit lift. Samus brought the ship in close to the first pillar, spotting an external platform close by. She brought them to a hover just above the ground, before opening the hatch.

"John." She said, looking over her shoulder. "Good luck."

He just nodded, before stepping through the hole, and falling to the ground below. Samus repositioned the ship, moving away from the platform and back into open air. She saw John, watching them back of. He waved, before moving for an entrance close by.

Suddenly, warning sirens blared inside the ship. Samus's eyes flicked through the various symbols that lit up, flashing warnings at her. The ship had been locked onto.

They suddenly rocked as the ship took a blast from the side. Samus quickly swiveled to face her attackers, bringing the ships weapon systems online. Several Phantoms had come into range, somehow slipping through her radar. One fired another Plasma bolt, the purple blast flashing against her ships shield.

"Adam, get me lock on." She growled, annoyed she had been snuck up on.

Several red target locks appeared on screen, highlighting the incoming attackers. Samus swerved out of the way of another Plasma volley, moving her ship in closer.

"Targets locked." Adam said.

Samus didn't hesitate, clicking her joysticks trigger with her thumb. Several large plasma blasts streaked out of the ship's guns, gold in color and traveling much faster than the Covenant's had. The Phantoms tried to move away, but were much too slow. The Plasma burned past through their armor, the metal turning molten hot within seconds. She spotted several Covenant soldiers jump ship, preferring to plummet to their deaths. The Phantoms fell from the sky like rocks, their now glowing hulls vanishing into the clouds below them.

"Get us to the second pillar." She told Adam, getting out of the pilots chair.

She stormed back the command console, moving to the rear lift. She activated her power suit, her body enveloped in gold light for mere moments before fading, her armor in place. She made sure all the suits systems and upgrades were online, data and notifications flashing past her eyes.

"I'm keeping contact with Cortana. They've made it inside, encountered Promethean resistance. I'd expect this pillar to be the same." Adam informed her. He appeared on the holo table, hands behind his back.

She nodded. "Good, I could use a good fight."

"Be careful Samus, we have a long way to go yet." Adam said, frowning. "We're above the platform…good luck."

She chuckled, her lips forming her classic grin. "I don't need luck, but thanks anyway."

She jumped out, the fall to the ground below short. She hit the floor with a thud, landing in a crouch. She got back up and nodded to the ship. "Land her somewhere safe."

The ship turned and soared away, disappearing into the clouds with a flash of orange and green. She turned and found an entrance into the pillar, similar to the one on John's. She ran through the door, making her way inside. She come to be inside a massive hallway, the walls typically Forerunner. She slowed down to a cautious walk, her cannon at the ready. John had encountered hostiles upon entering, and she didn't expect any different.

The hallway was long, and winding. There was no sound save for her boots on the ground and her own breathing. She had begun to lose track of time, expecting every corner to change, or be a way out. But it was always more hallway.

"Adam, you there?" She asked quietly, almost afraid to make too much noise.

"I'm here." He said. "You're doing good, should be getting close to an exit now."

She rounded another corner, and came to face a door. She'd never been happier to see a door, but didn't stop to enjoy it. Silently opening up before her, she cautiously moved through, emerging into a massive, hollow room. The cavern like area was dimly lit, the roof hidden in complete darkness. She spotted another door on the other side of the room. Samus didn't like this one bit. Her eyes flicked to her radar, all clear. Still…

She moved forward at a snail's pace, eyes darting every which way. But nothing jumped out at her, nothing rose to attack her. The room remained still, silent. A chill crept up her spine, something was definitely off.

She made it across, coming to stand before the door. However, it remained closed. She cursed, switching to her scan visor. The door didn't seem to have any access points for her to hack into. She cursed again, holding back the urge to punch the useless door.

And then the lights went out.

She turned quickly, unable to see. She switched between both her thermal and X-ray visors, but neither granted her vison. Her breathing began to speed up, but she kept a level head. She raised her hand, feeling for the wall behind her. But that too seemed to have vanished, leaving Samus alone in the dark.

A slight noise caught her attention, causing her to spin around, trying to face the source of the noise. It sounded like leather scraping on the ground. Foot falls slowly proceeded it, the sound heavy and echoing across the room. Samus advanced slowly, aiming her cannon blindly. The noise came from behind her again. She turned and fired, the power beam shot flying through the dark.

A hideous laugh boomed through the room, causing Samus to jump. The sound came from everywhere, echoing all around her. She continually turned and turned, but couldn't find the source. Finally, silence fell, the only noise her breathing. Samus felt a chill run up her spine.

A massive thud boomed from behind her, causing the ground to tremble. She jumped sideways, rolling and turning to face her mysterious stalker. A large, shadowy figure loomed over her, evil red eyes glowing in the darkness. A toothy grin was visible, a pair of massive wings silhouetted in the darkness.

Ridley.

"Samus…" He hissed, that grin immediately setting her on edge. But she held her ground, not showing the beast the fear she already felt.

"You can't be real. The Didact turned you into a mechanical monster." She stated, whether to Ridley or herself, she wasn't sure.

"I don't need to be. I'll always be real, in your head…" He said quietly, before roaring and lunging right for her.

She couldn't help it, she flinched, squinting her eyes shut and looking away. But no Ridley collided with her, the roar fading away. The lights returned to the room, and the door she previously couldn't access, opened behind her. She stood in the center, taking a moment to calm herself.

It had been a trick. Of course it had, probably an attempt by the Didact to slow her down. She took a breath before marching for the door. Eager to put distance between her and her imaginary tormenter. The door led into more hallways, adding to Samus's uneasiness.

"Samus? You're vitals spiked for a moment, everything alright?" Adam asked her suddenly, making her jump. She continued around a bend, her cannon sitting in a ready position.

"I'm fine, just the Didact playing games…" She muttered, continuing down the corridor at a fast pace.

"I got no form of electronic signals from that room, nor any other unusual readying, are you sure?" He asked, his tone concerned.

She grunted. "Positive Adam."

He didn't comment, going silent once again. Samus came to another set of doors, this time sliding open as she neared. Inside was a humongous room, more of a large empty space. The 'floor' was nothing more than large platforms, connected to each other via light bridges. She could barely make out the ceiling way above her, the floor hidden in darkness. The walls stretched beyond her eyesight, leaving the platforms as if they floated in space.

"Alright, I'm detecting three power cores among these platforms. Destroying these will allow me to upload myself into the system, and begin shifting this pillar." Adam informed her.

She nodded, already scanning the platforms. She spotted the first core immediately to her left, one a platform with little cover. She began making her way over, her steps the only noise save for the gentle hum of Forerunner machinery. Every odd noise made her jump, her previous encounter having put her on edge. She crossed the first bridge, looking down and gaining a slight sense of vertigo. She shook it off, crossing the bridge with haste. She moved to stand before the core, which was nothing more than a glowing ball of Hardlight.

She began charging her cannon, when her radar pinged. A red dot appeared on its edge, moving fast toward her. She spun, cannon raised, but her attacker was faster. The small attacker collided with her, the force sending her to the ground, enemy pinning her down. She finally got a good look, and realized a Crawler had snuck up on her, taking advantage of her carelessness. It fired a burst into her armor, her shielding flaring angrily in response.

She shoved hard with her arm, pulling the thing off of her. It fell to the ground, immediately springing back up. Samus dodged, the Crawler flying past her and onto a nearby wall. It turned and screeched, preparing to jump again. Samus didn't give it that chance, a volley of Power Beam shots blasting it to pieces.

"I see more on the way." Adam chimed in, his tone serious. Samus didn't reply, immediately pivoting and blasting the core. It fizzled out, the sounds of machinery powering down echoing throughout the area.

"One down, moving to the next." She grunted, already running. She could hear the roars of Knights close by, and soon spotted them ahead of her. Three Knights had formed a blockade on the next light bridge, two guarding its end and one standing in the middle. Samus continued to sprint, her thrusters kicking in and boosting her speed.

The Knight in the middle must have realized what she planned, because it too began charging, its Hardlight sword raised. She kept running, picking up speed. The two collided at the start of the bridge, and to Samus's surprise, the Knight held its ground. It tried to shove her away, but Samus persisted, pushing back just as hard. When it realized it couldn't move her, it tried swinging with its sword. Samus caught it, again surprised by how strong the Knight was. She strained against its arm, neither side managing to move the other.

Samus raised her cannon, aiming it right at the Knights head. It roared in challenge, before a large blast of ice froze its top half. It backed away, struggling to free itself. Samus took advantage, leaping over the Knight and sending a vicious kick to its back. The Knight tried to save itself, but had become too top heavy, and fell screeching as it did.

The two Knights at the end of the bridge roared but remained in their defensive position, firing Hardlight at her. Her shielding continued to save her, the red energy absorbing the attacks. She turned to face the duo, switching to her Dark Beam. She charged it up and ran at them, firing as she did. The Knights became covered in dark matter, their weapons failing and their bodies freezing up. She collided with one, its body shattering at her touch.

The other Knight broke free, screeching a challenge at her. She fired a missile, which the Knight dodged, before rushing her. She backed up, firing her Wave Beam in a continuous stream. The Electricity crackled over the Knights surface, its inner workings beginning to short out. It collapsed just as it reached her, its body simply falling apart.

A blip caught her attention. She turned to find another Knight a short distance away, standing in front of the second core. It didn't run to meet her, instead raising its weapon and firing from afar. She ran, attempting to dodge the shots, but her shielding flaring up all the same. She switched to her Plasma Beam, and fired shot after shot, tearing through its Hardlight shield and blasting holes in its frame. It disintegrated as she reached it, jumping through a hole in its chest head first. Rolling as she landed, she charged up and shot and fired at the core, the blast easily destroying it.

"One to go, detecting a lot of enemy presence around it." Adam informed her. "Might want to take this a bit slower."

The sounds of machinery powering down reached her ears again. She looked over at the final Platform, immediately spotting the reinforcements Adam had mentioned. Knights stood guard, backed up by Crawlers and Watchers, who hovered near by, ready to assist.

"Hmm…Nah." She said, smirking to herself.

She ran for the last light bridge, another trio of Knights waiting eagerly to meet her. As she neared them, she sped up. They raised their weapons, one stepping forward with its sword. Just as she reached them, she ducked, sliding under their legs. They turned and fired at her, but she was already speeding away. She shifted into Morph ball, swerving to dodge the incoming fire from all around her. Knights tried to stamp on her as she maneuvered through their legs, and Watchers created barriers to try and stop her.

She ignored all of them, and rolled right for the core.

Then, she dropped a Power Bomb.

A second later, the area was swallowed by a massive explosion, the Prometheans vanishing in a flash of brilliant light. When the explosion faded, she switched out of her ball, admiring her handiwork. The immediate area around her was void of anything, all save the ground had been incinerated in an instant. Further out, parts of Knights could be seen, blown apart by the force. She noted that she had successfully eliminated the core as well.

The ground shook beneath her, the sounds of machinery powering down growing even louder. She looked around quickly, seeing that the entire massive room appeared to be falling apart. She felt the ground beneath her drop a few feet before resuming to hover.

"Adam?" She said nervously, not liking this one bit.

"A fail safe, the Didact must have hidden it from me." He said, sounding worried. "The platforms are about to drop into the abyss below you. You need to get back to the door."

"How long?" She asked, already running.

"Thirty seconds, go!" Adam said loudly.

She sprinted, her thrusters kicking in. She blazed past the first Light Bridge, the sounds of it powering down loud in her ears. She looked over her shoulder to see that the light flickered and died just as she past it, the ground beginning to give way. She turned her attention to the second bridge, which lay just ahead of her. It began flickering just as she reached it. As she passed half way, it died.

Samus felt gravity begin to pull her down, but she flipped, sending her Grapple up onto the ledge before her. She shot up, over the ledge, and continued to race for the entrance, not missing a step. This time, the bridge died before she could reach it. The ground was now giving way beneath her feet, she was out of time. Just as she neared the bridges edge, she jumped, sending herself soaring across open space. She glanced behind her, watching as the last safe ground fell into the dark.

She landed in a heap on the ground before the doorway, shooting up and rushing through. The door slammed closed just as she reached it, sealing her back inside the long eerie hallway. She slowly rose, taking a few, steadying breaths.

"Well, made it…" She commented to herself, inspecting her armor. Her shielding was still holding up, though she had sustained a large chunk of damage. A massive blast would drain it, but she'd be fine regarding small arms fire.

"I noticed." Adam said, a sigh of relief following. "I've just been in contact with Cortana, they've finished their objective. There's a teleport system close by, I told her we'd meet up on the central pylon."

Samus nodded, re-tracing her steps back down the hallway. She began to feel the chill up her spine again, but she ignored it, continuing at a brisk pace.

"Stop here." Adam said.

She stopped, right in the middle of a corridor. She swore she heard a distant roar but ignored it, looking up and back down the hallway.

"I don't see a teleporter." She noted irritably.

"The entrance is hidden, I can't get it to open from my said." Adam shot back, sounding a little wounded.

Samus rolled her eyes and switched visor modes, and began scanning the walls around her. Right in front of her appeared a small hologram, Forerunner in design. She chuckled to herself.

The hidden door slid into the wall, exposing a small room inside. The only feature was a teleport pad. She stepped on, and immediately felt her insides twist. She felt an odd sense of vertigo, but couldn't move her body to respond. Finally, she found she could move, and immediately stepped off the pad, kneeling down in an effort not to throw up.

"That happened to me as well." John remarked, his tone sounding amused.

She shot up, head turning to face him. She'd only just realized that they now stood in a different room, another room with multiple teleport pads.

"I'm fine." She snapped, righting herself. "How did it go on your end?"

He shrugged, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. "It was successful, we took out the targets we needed. Encountered some hostiles along the way, but nothing we couldn't handle."

She nodded, looking around the room. "Alright Adam, what's next?"

"You're both going to continue through that door." Adam said. Samus turned and spotted the doorway he mentioned. "Once through, it will be a short walk to the objective. I'll advise you both now, I'm detecting Covenant between you and the goal."

"Understood Adam." John said quietly. He gestured for Samus to go first, taking a step to the side.

She strode past him, moving through the door into yet another hallway. Forerunners sure loved their hallways, she thought to herself. They moved in silence for some time, but Samus's encounter in the first pylon was still bugging her. She glanced at John over her shoulder.

"So, any complications on your pillar?" She asked, keeping her voice level.

He shook his head. "No, we met hostility, but nothing out of the ordinary."

She frowned under her visor, looking forward again. If that was the case, then, what had happened to her earlier? Adam had mentioned her vitals shot up, but he hadn't known why. Could she have…? No, it was a trick of the Didact, it had to be. She had met Ridley many times before, and not once had he governed such a response.

That said, Samus was lying to herself if she didn't fear Ridley. Of course she did, he was the monster who stole her normal life. He was, essentially, her origin point, the reason that Samus Aran, feared bounty hunter, existed at all.

They moved through another doorway, this time emerging into an open space. The roof was either invisible, or didn't exist. The walls similar, leaving only a floor to stand on. Samus looked further ahead, and immediately spotted Covenant blockades and troops, their flashy purple gear sticking out amongst the blue and white of the sky.

"Looks like they're trying to slow us down." John noted, the sound of his rifle cocking beside her.

She chuckled. "Sweep and clear?"

"Sounds good to me." He replied, and immediately began striding forward, gun raised.

The Covenant didn't get the chance to fire first, a hail of bullets and Samus's Power Beam raining down on the first lot. They died instantly. More troops holed up behind large portable shields. Samus switched to her Wave Beam, the stream of crackling energy not only destroying the shields, but the Covenant as well. They fell, bodies twitching from the electricity.

"Show off." John muttered, advancing ahead of her. He rained bullets down on the retreating aliens, bodies dropping like flies. One Elite tried a different tactic, and rushed him. He responded with a simple step to the side. The Elite ran past him, skidding on the ground as it tried to stop. John shoved it with his free hand, pushing it over the edge. It howled as it fell.

"Look who's talking." Samus shot back, marching past him. The final group of Covenant now stood before the exit, in a sort of last stand. She turned back to John, gesturing to the aliens. "You want to finish this?"

He shook his head, and began reloading his weapons. "No, you can."

She shrugged. "Suit yourself."

She turned, her arm cannon switching to the Ice Beam as she did, and began charging up. The Covenant must have realized what she was planning, because they opened fire exclusively on her. A few shots pinged off her shields, but for the most part, they had terrible aim. She continued to charge her weapon, until a thin layer of ice had begun coating its outer shell.

Taking aim, she fired, a massive ball of icy energy streaking right for the Covenant. With nowhere to run, they could only stand and watch as it collided with them, a white explosion covering their entire group, as well as the floor and door behind them. The white faded, exposing Samus's handiwork. The Covenant were now entirely encased in ice, as well as the floor and door.

"Bit dramatic." John noted, moving to stand beside her.

"Why not? Would have been boring otherwise." She replied.

He gave her a look, before moving past her. She followed, stepping onto the ice, which crackled with each of their steps. They moved through the Covenant icicles, their bodies preserved in whatever position they stood in. One Elite still had its weapon raised, a Grunt cowered on the ground. They made it to the door, which too was coated in a thin layer of ice. John punched the layer, the sounds of ice cracking and falling away like shattered glass.

The door then slid open, allowing them entry. Inside was another large room, which did have walls and a roof. The wall opposite them as they entered was gone, exposing them to the outside. The one key feature was a terminal, rising out of the ground. Samus looked outside and noted they were now right in front of the Didact's Cryptum, which hovered just above them, surrounded by smaller Covenant ships. Which meant, most likely, that he could see them too.

"Quick John, spire controls now." Cortana said urgently. John moved for the terminal, pulling her chip out of his head.

"Adam, are you in the system still?" Samus asked, looking up at the Cryptum nervously.

"I am. Once Cortana joins me, we can moved the pillars around us on an intercept course. If we smash them into the Cryptum, it should deal enough damage to stop him from going anywhere."

"Alright I'm in Adam." Cortana said anxiously.

John and Samus moved to watch through the missing wall. All around them, the massive pillars began to slowly move toward the Cryptum, beginning to enclose the Didact. They picked up speed, moving on a collision course. Samus knew this couldn't possibly kill the Didact, but she was hoping that it would at least ruin his Cryptum, leaving his stranded on Requiem.

"Mine…" Cortana suddenly cooed, causing the both of them to turn.

"Cortana?" John asked, worry creeping into his voice. He took a step toward her.

"All mine…" She said again, in that odd tone. Her hologram suddenly flashed red. "Now too…imprison them?!"

A loud crash outside caused Samus to swivel her head. Two of the pillars outside had instead crashed into each other, stopping short of the Cryptum. Samus felt a pit in her stomach.

"Cortana what are you doing?" John said urgently, also looking outside.

"Like he imprisoned his Prometheans? Like how Dr. Halsey imprisoned me?!" She said, shouting angrily now.

"Adam, take over." Samus said quickly, watching yet another pillar simply fall out of the sky.

Adam grunted, a sound she'd never heard him make before. "I…I can't. It's like multiple copies of her are locking me out, I can't keep up with them." He said, his voice strained.

With another loud boom, Samus watched dismayed as the last few pillars crashed short of their target, leaving the Cryptum unharmed. A massive noise resonated around them, and Samus noticed the ground far below them begin to split apart.

"Dammit! His ships coming online!" She growled, moving to the ledge.

"We need to move." John said, his tone flat. He pulled Cortana's chip out, inserting it back into his helmet.

"Chief…I'm sorry. I don't know what-"She began to say.

"We need to jump." He said quickly, cutting her off.

Samus looked down, spotting multiple Covenant ships zooming underneath them, moving to swarm around the Didact. Some of them traveled in a straight formation, almost making a moving bridge to the Cryptum. Still, Samus felt this was sketchy at best.

"Adam, bring the ship around." Samus said urgently. He didn't reply, still pulling himself from whatever web Cortana had used against him. She cursed.

"No time, we jump." John said. Samus looked back down.

"We only get one shot at this…" She said slowly, eyes following the speeding ships.

"I know." John said, his tone slightly softer than usual.

They both stood at the edge, waiting for the right time. A large cluster of ships moved under them, their speed slower than the individual ships. It was now or never.

"Now!" John shouted.

And they jumped.

Samus sped through the air, using her thrusters to correct her path to the ships. She saw a massive ping on her radar, but shrugged it away, figuring it for a ship. She grew closer and closer to the hull of the first ship, again correcting her course. She glanced up in time to see a massive shadow, speeding toward John.

"John! Watch-"She called out, but she wasn't fast enough.

The massive thing snatched John out of the air, coming to a hover. It was Ridley, clutching the Spartan in his hand. Ridley glared down at his catch with his evil orange eyes, before turning away and raising the arm that held John. He was planning to throw him away.

"No!" She growled, flipping herself so her back faced the ship below her. She fired multiple missiles, aiming for Ridley's wings.

The Dragon had no idea it was about to be attacked, and screeched when it's wing was struck. It let go of John, who immediately corrected his course. Ridley glared down at her, before flying through a cloud bank to avoid the rest of her attack.

"Samus, turn!" John's voice said urgently over her radio.

She only realized that in turning to attack Ridley, she couldn't see how close she was to the ship, and that she didn't have time to turn around or slow down.

Her back smacked into its hull with full force, letting out a yell of pain as she did. Her shields took a massive chunk of the blow, dropping to a critical level. The blow stunned her, leaving her unable to stop herself from sliding off the side. Cursing, she grasped for something to hold onto, but no hand holds were in reach. She felt her body begin to free fall again, this time with no ship beneath her. She flipped her body and shot out her grapple desperately. It found purchase on the bottom of the ship, leaving her dangling on the side. Her back hurt, a lot, and she struggled to maintain her life line.

"Samus!" John shouted, his head appearing on the side of the hull. He'd made it, she realized, and took a sigh of relief.

He skidded down the side of the hull, moving to try and grab her grapple. Her arm was burning, but she refused to give in to the pain, pushing it to the back of her mind. She suddenly heard the whoosh of wings near her, and her stomach dropped. Turning her body, she saw Ridley emerge from a cloud beside her, mouth open and claws extended. She looked back up, noticing that John had made it to her grapple line. If he pulled it, Ridley would take them both…

"John." She said, her voice unusually calm. "Stop the Didact."

"What are you-Samus no!" he shouted, making a dive for her grapple.

She deactivated the tether, just as Ridley collided with her.

The blow, plus his claws encasing around her, pushed her shields to their limit. One more bit of damage, and they would break. She struggled in the dragons grasp, but he had her now. With a roar of triumph, he dived, heading to the ground below them. She continued to struggle, unable to get her cannon arm out. She noticed vaguely that a massive Forerunner ship was now rising out of the ground close by, but she quickly ignored it. John had made it, and he would stop the Didact. She knew he would.

They descended into a thick layer of mists, a metal floor rushing to meet them. It looked like a pit in the ground, one circle wall extending all the way around the arena. Stopping just short of the ground, Ridley raised his arm and threw her into a wall, hard. She cried out, her back pain flaring in response, and crashed to the ground. Ridley screeched and flew up into the mists, hidden from her eyes.

The damage from her collision finished her shielding, and failed. She was struggling to keep her mind clear of pain, shakily rising to stand. One more flare from her back pushed her past her limit, causing her to yell through her teeth and fall to her knees. Unable to think properly, her suit failed, and vanished, leaving her exposed in her under suit. She gasped, the sudden feeling of the outside momentarily shocking her. It was cold, the mists thick in the air.

A roar sent a chill up her spine, and she suddenly realized that she was highly vulnerable. Ridley was probably keeping his distance, weary of an attack from her. But if he knew she couldn't activate her suit…

She tried, but pain assaulted her mind again, causing her to scream. Arms straining, she struggled to her feet, looking around for something to hide against or on. The sounds of flapping wings getting closer furthered her urgency, and she quickly ran behind a piece of stone that jutted out of the metal floor.

A loud thud sound told her that Ridley was now on the ground, probably looking for her. She pressed her body against her tiny stone, trying to control her breathing. Regardless, she took quick breaths, eyes darting around wildly. She had no weapons, and if Ridley found her, it was game over.

She heard the dragon take a step, and another. She chanced a peek around her cover, sticking her head out slightly to the side. Ridley was a small distance away, his head low to the ground. He advanced slowly on another piece of cover close by, a small wall that stuck out of the ground. With a sudden lunge, he gripped the wall with both hands and pried it out of the ground, immediately darting forward. When he didn't find Samus, he screeched angrily, hurling the wall away, before stomping toward another piece of cover.

Samus scooted back behind her stone, eyes searching frantically for an escape route. But she couldn't see any, the mists too thick. Ridley suddenly flapped his wings in annoyance, and Samus immediately noticed that the mists parted temporarily as he did, soon forming back over the empty space. Samus glanced down at the ground beside her, noticing that smaller pebbles sat below her small boulder. This, gave her an idea.

She picked one up carefully, sure not to make any noise, and slowly leaned out of her cover. Taking careful aim, she threw it at a wall on the far side of the circle arena, before quickly darting back behind her rock, save for her head as she watched. Her aim was perfect, and the stone made a dull thud as it hit the metallic wall. Seconds later, Ridley pounced toward the source of the noise, shifting huge parts of mist. Samus got a clear view of that area, and immediately spotted a small grate in the wall, possibly an underground tunnel. It looked like she'd be able to fit, but more importantly, Ridley sure wouldn't be able too.

Ridley screeched angrily, his head turning this was and that. Samus threw another pebble, trying to get him to move away, but he seemed to have caught on, instead moving away from the noise. Slowly, his orange eyes turned to glare at her hiding spot.

Samus's breath died in her throat.

Ridley slowly stomped his way toward her boulder refuge, head cocked slightly like a birds would. Samus pressed herself as far into the stone as she could, wishing that she could just slip inside her hiding spot. Ridley stopped just short of the stone, and leaned down. His snout appeared beside her, taking a long sniff. She held her breath. Ridleys mouth opened slightly, letting out a mechanical hiss, beginning to turn toward her. She clenched her eyes closed.

But suddenly, Ridley pulled away, looking up to the sky. His eyes grew distant, as if he was listening to something. Suddenly, he soared into the sky, vanishing into the mists. Samus heard his wing flaps grow more distant, until she could hear them no more. She remained in her spot for several minutes, frozen. She had almost been discovered…

Taking a breath, finally, she shakily stood and cautiously looked around. Ridley could have been playing a trick, but he wasn't known for his patience, especially since being composed by the Didact. She took a few shaky steps, regaining her usual gait as she walked. She moved for the grate she'd seen earlier, apparently the only way she could get out of here, besides flying.

"Adam, are you there?" She asked, talking into a little receiver in her zero suit, but she was met with silence. Just as she thought, she was on her own.

She saw the grate through the mists, its entry way just large enough for her to stand in. She swore she heard an eerie howl from within, but she ignored it. Inside was dark, very dark, and she could barely make out the walls and floor.

Glancing back one last time, she slowly made her way inside, disappearing into the dark.

* * *

John sighed, looking up at the swirling colors above him.

After Ridley snatched Samus, John had rushed to try and get inside the ship he stood on. He'd watched as the Didact had combined his Cryptum with the massive ship that rose from the ground, and realized that the whole fleet of ships were about to jump into slip space. Realizing that he was about to be caught outside, he'd run toward the back of the ship, hiding under part of the outer hull. This gave him enough space to be protected by the ships shields as it entered slip space.

"Samus…" He groaned to himself. Even he had to admit her situation didn't look good, and despite knowing she should be alright, was worried.

"She'll be fine John, Samus can deal with almost anything." Cortana offered him, her tone sympathetic.

He grunted. He couldn't help but feel a little resentment toward her, but mostly he was worried about her too. Her glitches and rampancy seemed to be growing more frequent.

Suddenly the flashing colors of the sky vanished, replaced with open space. John stood up, moving out of his hidey hole to see where they had emerged. John had expected the Didact to go straight to Earth, but the planet was nowhere in sight. He continued to look around for an idea of what the Didact was here for, when he spotted something rather close by, nestled near an asteroid belt.

He gasped.

"Chief, it's a…" Cortana said, astonished.

A massive object floated in space, ring like in shape. Its outer edge was all metal, glowing lights thrumming in the blackness around it, and its inner edge was green and blue, similar to how Earth looked from space. John felt a pit in his gut. He knew exactly what this was.

"Halo." He finished.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey all, look, another chapter. And so soon! Well...sooner then usual anyway.**

 **This one was a blast to write, and i'm very happy with how it turned out. Also, we're only about two chapters away from the end! And those will be popping up very soon as well!**

 **But I wont keep you waiting. Dont forget to fav/follow if you liked it, and leave a review to tell me your thoughts, good or bad. Anyway, read on and enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 8: Light from Darkness

The tunnel was near pitch black, and Samus could barely see a foot in front of her. Her footfalls echoed faintly, and she kept a hand on the enclosed wall beside her. The tunnel, more of a storm drain, was as small now as it had been when she'd entered, and Samus was having a hard time trying not to feel claustrophobic. Usually in this situation, she'd be in Morph Ball, and wouldn't mind being cramped up. She shivered, the dusty air around her cold and stale.

"Adam, can you hear me?" She asked into her under suits receiver, but again was met with silence. She sighed, glancing back behind her.

She'd been in this tunnel for what felt like hours, and the light from the entrance was no longer visible. She continued moving forward, as that was really all she could do. A faint screech echoed off the tunnel walls ahead of her, causing her hairs to stand on end. The noises had been constant, coming from…something ahead. They hadn't grown any louder however, something Samus took comfort in.

She tried to activate her suit, willing it to form around her, but again was met with sudden, sharp pain in behind her forehead. She gasped, sliding to her knees as she waited for the pain to subside. Without her suit, she was exposed, and any Promethean…or whatever was down here, could kill her easily. She shrugged the thought off, getting back up. Her first few steps wobbly, causing her to lean on the wall for support. Steeling herself, she resumed her walk in the dark.

"Adam…please respond." She whispered, the only answer was her own voice, echoing into the distance.

She walked in silence, her thoughts going round in circles. Fear and doubt eventually made way for anger and impatience.

" _This is stupid…_ " She thought to herself. " _I should head back, find a different way to-"_

" _Samus…"_

She stopped dead in her tracks. Looking around in the dark, she swiveled her head trying to find who or what had called her name. She wasn't even sure if she'd heard it with her ears…or in her head.

"… _Hello?"_ She tried, hoping that she wasn't slipping further into insanity.

" _Samus…"_ It said again. " _Beware…"_

" _Beware what?"_ She asked, but the voice was gone. Samus almost felt like the presence had been right beside her, and had felt its departure.

"Right…" She said out loud. She resumed her walk, this time with purpose. She took larger strides, pushing the dull throb of pain in her mind away. Someone was calling her down here, and she was going to find out who.

As if the conversation had freed her, it didn't take long for her environment to change. The tunnel opened up, turning into a large hallway. Light slowly returned, dimly lit by holograms on the walls. Samus cautiously analyzed her new surroundings, expecting a trick. But no hidden threats leapt out at her, leaving her alone in the dim hallway. She continued at a weary pace, her eyes looking over everything, expecting an ambush at any moment.

She suddenly heard one of those shrieks from before, a lot closer than she'd like. In fact, it sounded like it had come from just ahead of her. Dull metal foot falls soon followed, making Samus's heart speed up. She looked around, desperate for a hiding spot. She noticed the walls had small hollows within them, probably for decoration purposes. She quickly ran over to one, sliding herself inside the wall. She then waited, taking baited breaths.

It didn't take long for the source of the noise to emerge from the dark. Glowing orange Hardlight, and shining alien metals. It was Prometheans, two to be exact. One was obviously a Knight, its large, hulking shell unmistakable. But the other, she hadn't seen before. It was smaller in stature, though would still have been imposing if it stood in front of her. Its limbs were sleek, the orange highlights much less distinguishable. It had two orange slits for eyes, lacking any other facial features. It only had three fingers.

It stood upright, having a general humanoid shape. It appeared to have a Hardlight weapon strapped to its arm, as it screeched quietly. It seemed to be communicating with the Knight, who merely nodded or shook its head. Samus was getting the strangest sense of deja vu from this new adversary. At one point, the new creature's metal face pulled, much like a Knights would. And immediately, Samus knew why it looked so familiar.

Underneath, composed of Hardlight, was a monstrous face. Angry eyes glared, accompanied by a large, three hinged jaw. It roared angrily, before it's faceplate covered it up, returning to the blank eyes and nothing else. Samus held her breath, waiting for the two to pass. She held it long after they had left, before taking a silent inhale.

Space Pirate.

Or, Zebesian if she was going to be more accurate. The features had been indistinguishable. It appeared the Didact had composed not only Ridley, but the Pirates as well. Which left her with the question…

" _What else did he compose?"_

Samus slowly emerged from her hiding spot, eyes darting both ways. She continued forward, away from the direction the Prometheans had gone. Her steps echoed faintly, making her wince. She was very alone done here, and needed to find a way out quick. More steps ahead made her duck into another hollow in the wall. More of the Pirates stalked pass, their weapons at ease.

" _At least they aren't on alert…"_ She thought to herself, quickly resuming her walk once they had gone. The hallway began to widen out, the walls becoming further and further apart. Samus stuck close to one wall, in case more Prometheans arrived. But the walls were smoothing out, the cuts and hollows disappearing.

A roar ahead of her caused her to jump, and she could see glowing orange ahead. A lot of it. Straining her eyes, she made out that at least a dozen Pirates and a couple of Knights were gathered around a door. It appeared one Knight was trying to pry the door open, the others chirping and screeching quietly. They hadn't yet noticed her, but sooner or later one would turn and spot her in the hallway.

She looked around frantically, but there were no hiding spots in the walls, nor the floor. Desperate, she quickly spotted a grate in the ceiling. A vent. The ceiling was high up, but not beyond her body's natural reach. Throwing the Prometheans a quick look, she ran and jumped up a wall as quietly as she could. Just as gravity began to pull her, she jumped, her fingers latching on to the edge of the ventilation shaft. Suppressing her uneasiness and being cramped up again, she climbed inside.

Once in, she immediately noticed that the floor of the shaft was see-through, lined with decorative runes. If she made any noise, or if one of the enemies below looked up, she'd be discovered. Looking ahead, she realized that the vent lead into the room that the Pirates were trying to get into. Crawling slowly, and being mindful not to make any noise, she moved through the vent and to the next room.

At first, it was too dark to make out anything inside, but as her eyes adjusted, she had to hold in a gasp. The room was littered with piles upon piles of metal parts. Body parts. Dozens of Promethean bodies lay scattered, their usual orange light dead. She looked further ahead, her eyes straining to make anything out in the dim light. She suddenly realized that the majority of the bodies were gathered around the door, which meant either that they were trying to keep something out…Or trying to get out themselves.

Samus noticed that a few of the bodies looked as if they were reaching for the door, dying in that final pose. Samus felt a chill go up her spine.

The door below her suddenly slid open, showering light through the door way. The Pirates and Knights stepped inside, apparently unaffected by the bodies of their comrades around them. One of the Pirates issued an order, and the two Knights nodded, moving to the front of the group. Even though all her instincts were telling her to turn around and get out, Samus felt curious. She wanted, no needed, to know what was going on here. Did the Prometheans have a native enemy? Perhaps infighting?

The group advanced down the dark corridor, their orange glow the only source of light. One stopped to close the door behind them. They had only gotten about halfway when a loud screech suddenly startled them all. The Knights came to a stop, immediately aiming their weapons down the hallway. For a moment, the scene was still, both the Knights and Samus above them. To Samus, the noise had been…eerily familiar.

A small, orange ball of light appeared from around a corner, hovering at the end of the walkway. At first, Samus thought it was some kind of A.I. But as she watched, more and more things didn't add up. The creature, for that's all she could call it right now, seemed to be made of Hardlight, like the Prometheans were. It lacked any other features, it was just…a floating ball.

The Pirates however, must have known it was dangerous. The lead one immediately roared at the Knights, an order. They both opened fire immediately, their Light Rifles firing streaks of orange energy. But to Samus's amazement, rather than be destroyed, the shots seemed to be absorbed. The ball let out a shrill noise, and grew in size, once for each blast. It seemed to shiver, as if enjoying the attack.

" _This doesn't make any sense."_ She thought to herself. _"What kind of creature could possibly-"_

And then, it hit her.

It's spherical shape, its apparent absorption of energy. The noise it had made before appearing. Samus wanted to actually shout warnings to the Knights below, but she knew she couldn't. Before, facing Ridley, she had felt fear, fear for her life. But now, for the first time since she had faced the flood upon awakening, did she feel true terror.

The Ball suddenly screeched, rearing up. Underneath, it had four, large teeth, and a tiny hole for a mouth. As if flew towards the Knights, it was all the confirmation that Samus needed.

Metroid's.

The Metroid latched onto the head of one the Knights, its teeth sinking into the metal. The Knight roared, swinging it's sword at its attacker. The Metroid ignored the attacks, and immediately began siphoning energy from the Knight. The Knight screeched, its orange glow beginning to fade, and its movements becoming sluggish. The second Knight charged, bashing into the Metroid. It squealed, the force of the attack removing it from its meal. Samus noticed that the first Knights light was gone, the Metroid had killed it.

The Metroid screeched at the second Knight, preparing to lunge. The Knight didn't wait, rushing forward with its sword raised. Just as the Metroid began to lunge, the blade made contact. The Metroid's soft shell couldn't protect it, and the blade passed through effortlessly. The Metroid fell to the ground in a heap of liquid light and goo. The Pirates advanced cautiously, coming to a stop behind the remaining Knight.

Samus frowned, looking down at the multitude of bodies that lay around the doorway.

" _This isn't right…"_ She thought to herself. _"One Metroid shouldn't have been able to-"_

A loud screech echoed from up ahead, and Samus's thoughts stopped dead in their tracks. Another glowing ball hovered from around the corner, larger than the first. And another, and another…

The Pirates opened fire, the Knight roaring and charging forward. The Metroid's flew right for the vulnerable Prometheans, several stopping to latch onto the Knight. It swung it's sword in vain, managing to slice one Metroid apart, but another simply took its place. The Knight fell, its orange glow flickering and dying, while its parasitic attackers continued to drain its lifeless body.

The rest of the Metroid's flew right into the middle of the Pirate group, causing utter chaos. Several pirates turned to flee for the door, but they couldn't get it open in time, their lifeless husks falling to the floor to join the others. The rest continued to fight, though it was obvious to Samus that this was a lost battle. One Pirate fired wildly, his shots spraying the walls and ceiling. One blast hit the vent behind her, collapsing the way back. The last Pirate fired hopelessly, as several eager Metroid's latched onto its chest and arms. It fell, the room going quiet save for the occasional chirp from a Metroid.

Samus had remained motionless, but now she knew she needed to get out. If one of the Metroid's sensed her, she would be helpless. She looked behind her, at the way back, which was now blocked. She cursed silently, looking down at the greedy orange orbs below her. Swallowing, she began moving forward, further toward where the Metroid's had come from. The hall below her was dark, save for the glow of Metroid's full of Hardlight. Samus wondered exactly how a Metroid could absorb Hardlight, but didn't question it too much. Metroid's had proven to be able to consume both Phazon and parasitic infections, both Ing and Flood.

The vent shuddered beneath her, and she froze. _"Don't collapse…"_ She willed, eyes still glued to the horror below her.

The vent held, though made a groan of protest. A quick look at the Metroid's told her that they either hadn't heard her, or didn't care, the feast before them more important. She continued, reaching the corner where the Metroid's had come from. To her dismay, the vent ended there, further access blocked off and an opening leading down to the ground.

She considered her options. If she went down, she would be putting herself at risk to discovery. However, it could also mean a way out, should she take it. Taking a deep breath, she pulled herself out of the vent as quietly as she could, hanging for a moment before dropping. Had she been in armor, the noise would have easily alerted anything nearby. Fortunately, her Zero Suit had no such issues. She landed lightly, her footfall making hardly a noise, before she darted behind the corner. When she didn't hear any Screeching, she chanced a peak.

The Metroid's were still feeding, gathered in groups. The Knight in particular had a large group of them, all darting in and clamping down for a few seconds before letting go. The Knight moved feebly, its arm straining to lift its weapon. The orange glow was gone, the occasional flicker of light all that remained.

Samus felt surprisingly sorry for the Knight, but shook it off. At least it bought her time and a distraction. Quietly, she stood up and began moving down the hall, away from the massacre. She found further evidence of Metroid feeding, as the occasional body of a Watcher or Crawler appeared in the dim light. She bent down to retrieve a weapon from one of the bodies, a Bolt Shot. It flickered to life in her hand, morphing and changing to fit her. At least she was armed now.

She kept walking, every distant screech or howl causing her to jump. The further she moved into this sealed complex, the less and less evidence she found. Clearly, there hadn't been any Prometheans in here before. So, what was this place?

" _Samus? Can you hear me?"_ The voice from earlier suddenly said, nearly causing Samus to yell.

She quickly looked behind her, in case she had been heard. But no orange glow came rushing out of the dark after her. She sighed in relief.

" _I can hear you. Identify yourself."_ She demanded, both happy and annoyed to hear the strange presence.

" _I cannot, not yet."_ The voice said, its tone worried _. "Samus, you cannot be in that area. It's highly unsafe, there's-."_

" _Metroid's?"_ Samus thought, cutting the voice off. _"I know. What the hell are Forerunners doing with these? I thought they were extinct."_

The voice didn't answer, at first _. "I will explain everything when you reach me. But you need to get out of that place."_

" _Well the way I came in is no longer accessible."_ Samus thought bitterly _._

" _I can guide you out."_ The voice said. _"You'll have to trust me."_

Samus didn't like that idea one bit, but as she heard another Metroid cry, closer than before, she realized she didn't have much of a choice. _"Alright, which way?"_

" _Continue down this hall until you reach a large doorway."_ The voice said, before fading away.

Samus did just that, and resumed her slow, cautious pace. She saw a flash of Orange ahead and dropped to the floor, making herself as small as possible. She lay like that for several minutes, but no Metroid appeared, so she slowly got back up and continued walking.

" _What exactly is this place?"_ Samus asked, trying to pry information from her mysterious ally, but the voice was silent, leaving Samus alone in the dark.

She soon found the door in question, laying on the floor in front of her. She narrowed her eyes trying to look at the doorframe in the darkness. From what she could see, it had been pushed outward with force, the scrapped metal and broken connecters confirming her theory. A screech in the distance made her look over her shoulder. She moved through the doorway quickly, pressing herself against the wall beside it.

An orange glow began to light the hallway she'd just been in, and two Metroid's appeared out of the darkness. They hovered at a slow pace, clearly not hunting. They chirped to each other, floating past the doorway. Samus held her breath, but neither bothered looking inside. They continued down the hall, disappearing again into shadow.

Samus took a couple minutes before moving away, and examining the room she had hidden in. More of a complex within a complex, the room had vast line ways of tubes, large and made of glass. Control panels and flickering Forerunner holograms lined the tubes, and on the walls. Samus couldn't help but feel a little shocked.

" _What is this?"_ She immediately demanded.

This time, the voice answered. _"It was a specimen room, housing dozens of different species."_

" _I can see that."_ Samus commented, annoyed _. "But why is it here? What was the point?"_

" _To reseed the galaxy after the firing of the Halo rings."_ The voice responded, grabbing Samus's attention. _"The original plan had been to use shield worlds, like this one. But we eventually decided the Ark would be a safer place."_

" _Look how that ended…"_ Samus replied, turning her attention back to her surroundings.

Slowly making her way down one of the halls lined with tubes, she quickly found evidence of how this had happened. Several tubes, all lined next to each other, where smashed open, their contents missing. Samus was willing to guess that this is where the initial few Metroid's had been housed, before there unknown method of escape.

She found more smashed tubes, though the occupants were still close by. Creatures of unknown size and shape lay around or in their tubes still, dried up and lifeless. The Metroid's first meals had been their fellow specimens.

" _I don't know how they broke out…"_ The Voice suddenly said _. "Nor how they grew to be so numerous."_

" _Some Metroid's can perform mitosis."_ Samus said _. "Clearly, the ones you collected did just that, and spread all throughout the complex."_

She stepped over a tube that had been pulled clean off its hinges, Samus guessed due to Metroid's trying to get inside.

She suddenly heard a loud crack, looking down to find that she had stepped on broken glass. The silence hung in the air, before a loud screech sounded from ahead. Samus felt her heart pump rapidly, and immediately spotted an orange glow moving through the wall of tubes opposite her, fast. Samus looked around frantically, but there was no place to hide. The light was nearly about to turn into her walkway when she got a desperate idea.

Grabbing one of the dried up bodies, she lay down on the floor, dragging the husk on top of her. Tucking her arms and legs into her chest, she held her breath as the Metroid entered her field of view. It hovered close by, it's movements erratic as it tried to find the source of the noise. It chittered to itself, hovering just above Samus's hiding place. It lowered itself, lightly prodding the husk with a fang. Samus had to force herself not to shudder.

The Metroid chirped angrily, moving in the direction she had come from. Samus watched it vanish around a corner, and waited several more minutes until she was in complete darkness, until carefully moving the body off her. Standing, she moved in the opposite direction, continuing for the other side of the room.

Another screech alerted her, coming from ahead. This Metroid was far larger than the one before, but it hadn't noticed her yet. It was poking and prodding at a dead body ahead, it's supposed back to her. Samus looked around for a way to get past the creature, but none presented themselves.

Another Metroid appeared, moving in to investigate the first's prize. The first one screeched angrily, butting its body into the smaller second one, who shoved back in kind. The two began to scrap, carcass momentarily forgotten.

Samus glanced up at the tops of the tubing, realizing that there was enough room for her to stand on top of them. Her eyes continued to follow the makeshift path until she spotted another open vent shaft, on the far side of the room. She looked back to the fighting Metroid's as the larger one began to overpower the new comer.

" _I could run for that vent…"_ She thought to herself.

" _No, there's an exit point not far from where you are now."_ The voice argued.

" _I have Metroid's in the way."_ She snapped back _. "And even if I get through your door, they won't stop chasing me if I'm spotted."_

" _Samus I don't think-"_

" _I'm doing it"_ She declared, cutting the voice off.

She leapt up on top of the wall the tubes lined, quickly looking down at the Metroid's. The large one had killed the second, and was now draining it, growing larger by the moment. If she didn't make a run for it, she would be discovered soon. So, she ran.

A loud screech immediately sounded from behind her. Samus kept running forward, chancing a glance over her shoulder. The Metroid from earlier had seen her, and was now pursuing her. It rose above the ground to the wall she ran on, chittering eagerly. The Large one turned in response, and also began chasing her. She kept running, her speed keeping distance between them. She was almost at the vent…

A third Metroid reared up in front of her, screeching triumphantly. It rushed forward, fangs and mouth exposed. Not daring to slow down, Samus instead flipped over her attacker, the Metroid crashing into the others. She heard angry growls, but didn't stop running. She reached the end of the wall, the vent just above her. She leapt, her body flying right in. She began crawling immediately, a loud bang rattling the vent. She looked behind her, at the bright orange orbs that tried to squeeze themselves inside her safe spot. Each Metroid was too large to fit, and soon they began squabbling amongst each other.

Samus crawled away, the sounds of the monsters growing quieter. She took heavy breaths, aware of just how close she had come to being caught. Also, they knew she was around now, their yells probably alerting others nearby.

" _Continue down this pipe until you find an exit, you're almost out of the complex"_

Samus continued to shuffle through the vents, pausing whenever she heard a screech or saw an orange glow nearby _"Is Requiem the only world with Metroid's?" She asked the voice._

 _It didn't answer right away. "No…"_ It admitted. _"There are multiple shield worlds that contain the same species. The Metroid's were no exception."_

" _Great…"_ She thought sourly. After this was all over, and she returned to Earth, she'd have to set out and find these shield worlds. Metroid's were a menace of her time, and she certainly didn't want any more running around the galaxy.

The vent soon opened up, in a hallway adjacent to the containment room she'd been in. She slid out of the vent, landing with a light thud. Quickly looking in front and behind her for trouble, she got up slowly, her bolt shot tightly gripped.

" _Which way?"_ She asked.

" _Continue in the direction behind you."_ It told her. _"There's a series of doors coming up that lead out of the complex. From there, it will be a short walk to reach me."_

Samus nodded, aware that no one was around to see it. She turned and followed the dark hallway, her eyes darting at shapes in the dark. Her steps echoed faintly, each noise making her silently curse. She heard Metroid's chattering in the distance behind her, but she pressed on. The hallway felt like it went on forever, the only light from holographic symbols sparsely placed along the walls.

" _If this hallway keeps going…"_ she grumbled to herself. _"I'm gonna-"_

She didn't see the thing she bumped into, but it caused her to cry out. She immediately took several quick steps back, raising her Bolt Shot. The thing was tiny, about the size of her hand, barely lit in the darkness that surrounded them. The little creature chirped agitatedly, turning to face her.

Samus had realized by now that her surprise was actually a Metroid, much smaller than the others, and lacking the glow. It looked much more like the Metroid's she remembered, it's 'shell' green in color and transparent, allowing Samus to see the inside of it. Either this one hadn't fed on any Prometheans, or it was recently split from another Metroid.

She continued to aim her gun at it, but she hesitated to pull the trigger. On the practical side of things, if she fired, the noise would attract much larger Metroid's to her. And on the moral side…

The Metroid chirped, much like a bird would, and hovered closer to her, apparently at ease. It floated right in front of her gun, soft shell bouncing when they touched. It didn't seem to have any interest in her at all. She began lowering her weapon…

The Metroid suddenly cried out, a loud shrill noise that echoed for several seconds. It began to rear up, exposing its mouth and fangs. Samus darted back, bringing her weapon up once again. The little Metroid charged at her, flying right for her chest. Samus cursed, and squeezed the trigger.

The Metroid exploded, apparently not having the same Hardlight immunity that the older ones possessed. Its lifeless body flopped to the floor like a balloon, goo and juices oozing onto the metal floor. Samus sighed, taking a deep breath. That had been too close, the Metroid had almost...

A screech sent a chill up her spine, the sound a lot closer than the ones before it. Slowly, she turned to face the darkness behind her. She had been so caught up in the little Metroid's attack, she'd forgotten that it had cried out first. An orange light appeared in the dark. And another. And another. Samus's breath caught in her throat as what looked like dozens of Metroid's flew through the hall behind her, all of them with their fangs out, eager clicks escaping them.

" _Run!"_ The voice suddenly cried out. _"Samus run!"_

She didn't need telling twice, and quickly turned and sprinted down the hall, her stalkers in hot pursuit. She ran blindly into the dark, her back becoming illuminated by the Metroid's that chased her. Screeches and cries echoed endlessly as they chased her, more and more joining them as the chase went on. Samus thundered down the hall, stealth forgotten. She darted round corners, trying to grow distance between her and them. She was keeping her distance for now, but she couldn't keep this up forever. She was tired, and still injured. Her head and arm began to flare up from the stress her body was under, but she fought through the pain, still running as fast as she could.

" _Your almost there! Don't give up."_ The voice urged her, its sense of urgency spurring her own on.

She flew around a bend, leaping off the adjacent wall and landing in one motion, not losing any momentum. Ahead of her, she spotted a large door, large enough to fit a Pelican through. She felt her excitement kick in as she realized it was her way out. Her eyes looked further down and her excitement dropped.

Dozens of Promethean's stood in front of the door, in battle positions. Their weapons raised, they all stared as Samus inevitably ran towards them. The cries of the Metroid's close behind her spurred her on, and she figured getting shot would be better than having multiple parasites clamped onto her. The Knights in front of the group roared and began to fire at her, but Pirates further back shouted orders, and they ceased fire immediately. Samus noted in the back of her mind that these composed Pirates almost seemed like commanders of some kind, keeping the others in check.

She ran into the large room the Prometheans stood in, rushing past the Knights. The Pirates hissed at her, but they too ignored her, apparently dismissing her as a low priority target. The Metroid's soon followed her inside, and that's when Pirates shouted an order, and they all opened fire. Samus had to duck and dodge as Hardlight and Incineration cannons fired, though they weren't specifically aimed at her.

The Knights at the front of the group fired in unison, forming a massive armored wall against the tide of monsters. The Metroid's in their eagerness at all the new food, dissolved into individuals. The Knights began slashing and slicing at Metroid's who got too close, though they couldn't hit them all. The first Knight went down, dragged away from the group by the hungry parasites.

Samus slammed into the door, now past all the Prometheans. She glanced around quickly, trying to find a terminal she could use. She spotted one on her far right, a small pedestal sticking out of the ground with a holographic hand on it. A hand scanner? Samus hoped her being human would be enough to open it.

Behind her the battle had blown into full chaos. The Knights were now divided, each one surrounded by a swarm of Metroid's, who poked and prodded at the towering metal monsters armor. Crawlers and Watchers had now charged in as well, both being maneuverable enough to avoid being grabbed, but not powerful enough to damage the Metroid's properly. The Pirates hung back, firing into the fray before them. They were now all that stood between Samus and her pursuers.

She reached the terminal, slamming her hand down on the hologram. At first, she was worried that it wasn't going to work, but then the colossal door began to slide open, echoing loudly as it did. Light was revealed on the other side, and Samus had never thought it looked more beautiful.

The Pirates realized what she had done, and to her surprise, began retreating to the door. Samus ducked out first, immediately pressing another hologram on the other side, which began closing the door. The Pirates tried to run for it, but the Metroid's had cleaned up the rest of the attacking force. A couple of Knights still held out, slowly being dragged into the halls she had come from. Watchers and Crawlers had been decimated, as more Metroid's had focused on the easy meals.

They majority of the parasites were now focused on the Pirates, who fell in droves as the Metroid's began their feast. Pirates roared and screeched as they were dragged away, only a few escaping the initial onslaught. But by then, the door had nearly closed, and only one managed to jump through before the gap was too small. Samus peered inside, watching the remaining Pirates resigned to their fate, and turned to fire helplessly at the victorious Metroid's. The door closed just as they were consumed, nothing but orange light visible.

Samus puffed and panted, her body physically drained. She noted vaguely that she was now in a massive walkway, much more similar to usual Forerunner architecture. She leaned up against the door, sliding down slowly, holding a hand to her shoulder. She'd dropped her gun inside when she was activating the door, but she didn't care anymore. She was safe, from Metroid's at least.

A growl caught her attention. She slowly turned her head to the left, remembering that one Pirate had escaped. It stood there now, orange slit eyes staring down at her. She willed herself to get up, but her body was finally ignoring her, staying sat on the ground. She chuckled tiredly.

" _Out of everything, a Pirate? Well…worse ways to go I guess."_

The Pirate lifted its weapon, aiming right at her head. It stalked closer, until it stood directly atop her. She looked it right in the eye, unblinking. If she was going to die, she would do it as a warrior, not a coward.

The Pirate suddenly growled, moving away. It shook its head, as if trying to remove a bug. Samus watched confused as it continued to struggle with whatever plagued it. It dropped its weapon, crying out. Samus noticed its usual orange light flicker, and change to Forerunner blue.

It stopped struggling, standing straight once again and looking back at Samus. It moved toward her, though didn't make an attempt to pick up its gun. It stopped in front of her, before un-expectantly offering her a hand up. She blinked, wondering if she was imagining this, and it really was about to shoot her.

" _You see correctly."_ The voice suddenly said, sounding pleased. _"Let this Soldier guide you to me Samus."_

She swallowed, not eager to put her life in the hands of what had been a Pirate, but her other choice was to pass out on the floor. She placed her hand in its, not resisting at it lifted her to her feet. She wobbled, her body still too tired to move properly. The Pirate caught her, wrapping her arm around its neck and gripping her side. It began to walk down the halls, assisting/dragging Samus with it. They passed through another massive door, this one already being opened.

Samus lost track of time quickly, her vision blurring as she slipped in and out of consciousness. To her, the halls looked the same, with tall walls that stretched into the hidden roof, covered in blue holographic symbols. The 'Soldiers' steps echoed loudly as they walked, otherwise making no noise at all.

She wasn't sure how much time passed in this fashion, but she eventually noticed that the Soldier had brought her to a small room, the only feature an odd looking machine. A Forerunner artifact for sure, it was spherical in shape, and glowed with blue light from within. A human sized entryway was visible inside it, telling Samus that this was some kind of storage unit, or housing.

The Soldier let her go, causing Samus to wobble alarmingly before she found her gravity again. She wearily stood before the artifact, unsure of what she was expected to do.

" _Step inside Samus…"_ The voice asked her _._

She glanced back at the Solider, who stood there imposingly, although not inherently threatening. She looked at the entryway, took a deep breath, and slowly stepped inside, her vision flashing white. She continued to walk inside, which was apparently much, much bigger than the outside. Her vison eventually cleared, the blinding light fading away. Samus found herself inside a massive, blue room. It lacked any features she could see, and didn't seem to have walls or a roof. It just kept going…

"At last…" The voice said. Samus immediately noticed that she'd heard it both in her head, and with her ears.

She whirled around, trying to see who had spoken.

"Show yourself!" She demanded. "I've jumped through your hoops, now tell me, who are you!"

A figure appeared in front of her, as if emerging from mists. Samus immediately got the impression it was a woman from its shape. As she got closer, Samus could spot more details. This woman floated, and wore an exuberant robe. She looked almost human, save for her lack of a nose and oddly gray skin. Her eyes were kind, and looked filled with tears. It took Samus a moment to realize the being was crying.

"A thousand lifetimes." she said, voice quivering. "A thousand lifetimes and planning and calculations. And, here you stand…You have no idea, the joy I feel seeing you stand before me, alive."

"You still haven't told me who you are." Samus said quietly, glaring faintly at the alien. Her brain flared up in pain, but she ignored it, focusing on the woman.

She nodded, her eyes sad. "I was told that being in hyper sleep for so long could have side effects, but we didn't realize just how much memory you could lose."

"Tell me!" Samus shouted, patience gone. She glared up at the woman, her brain feeling like it was on fire.

The woman gasped, a tear rolling down her cheek. "Samus…I am the Librarian. You and I used to be…good friends."

At the mention of her name, the pain behind her eyes became too much, and she fell to her knee's, crying out. She struggled to suppress the burning pain, but it struggled back. Samus was vaguely aware that she was crying.

"Do not fight it…" The Librarian said gently. "Let the memories come back to you…"

And Samus did. Tired of the pain, she let it through, and immediately began to have flashbacks. Past battles, memories of Adam Malkovich, the destruction of Zebes and Phaaze, she remembered every little detail, in ways she hadn't before. And new memories she had never seen before, or ones she only had small details of. The death of her Parents, Ridley destroying her life. Old Bird, her mentor and parent, guiding her to a new life, training her to become the ultimate weapon.

And more memories flooded in. She remembered fighting alongside the Forerunners against the Flood, officially siding with the Librarian. More of the Librarians memories returned. Times when Samus would help her research, times where she offered suggestions for solutions to the Flood. Memories of the two of them just talking, and smiling. The Librarian was less of a friend, and more of a mother, Samus suddenly realized. She looked out for Samus, protecting her from both the Ecumene council and the Didact, who still swore to wipe out all of humanity.

More and more memories flooded her mind, until they slowed, coming up to one, final memory. Samus remembered bits of this already, it was the first thing she had remembered, back when she woke up on Halo. Only, this time she got the whole picture.

* * *

" _Is everything prepared?" Samus asked, striding down the halls. The Librarian and Old Bird accompanied her, both having been instrumental in this plan._

" _Yes." The Librarian replied, her voice laced with worry. "The hyperspace chamber is ready."_

 _Samus nodded. "And, this will work right? I'm not jumping in this thing on a chance right?"_

 _Old Bird chuckled, his voice gravelly. "Yes young Samus. The technology is both Forerunner and Chozo in design. Regarding the future, I cannot tell you. But the chamber will be immune to the firing of the Halo array."_

 _Samus frowned, looking ahead. "Why didn't you build more of these if they're so effective?"_

 _The Librarian sighed. "You know why Samus. We built the Shield Worlds to protect us from the firing, but we're out of time. The Flood is almost upon us, we have to act."_

" _I know, but still-"Samus began, but the Librarian cut her off._

" _Our time is over." She said, her voice definite. "Between the atrocities committed against the Human race and our failure to stop what your kind could, the Forerunners have failed as caretakers."_

 _They entered a small side room, the inside of which contained Samus's new home for the next few thousand years at least. Inside was nothing more than her hyper chamber pod, which nestled into the wall. Alongside it was a rack to place her Zero Suit, and a small pedestal to place her Adam A.I inside. She grimaced slightly at the reminder of her odd A.I companion, the thought immediately stirring up memories of his death._

" _After the rings fire, life will begin anew, and Humanity will have to start again. You have to guide them Samus, make sure the same mistakes both our kinds made are not repeated." The Librarian said, as if to lecture her._

" _I know, I remember the plan." Samus said quietly. In truth, she felt she was underqualified for the task, but both Old Bird and the Liberian felt she was not only a good candidate, she was the –only- candidate._

" _We are out of time…" Old Bird said to Samus sadly, his old grayed feathers folding down into a sad frown._

 _Samus sighed, slowly unzipping her Zero Suit, and placing it on the rack next to her pod. The rack slid silently into the wall, which then closed up around it. Now naked, she looked at the both of them, feeling a mixture of fear and love. "I don't know if I can do this…" She began. "But, I will try. I will try my best, for the both of you."_

 _The Librarian smiled warmly, and while Old Bird was harder to read, she knew he was doing the same. She then turned and climbed inside the pod, laying herself against its cushioned back._

" _You all set Adam?" She asked._

" _As ready as I'll ever be." His voice replied. "Have a good rest Lady, I'll be here when you wake."_

 _She nodded, smile gone. In truth, she was more nervous then she had ever been. But she was ready, and knew it had to be done. The Pod doors began to close. Old Bird clucked fondly._

" _Good bye my hatchling." He said, using her term of affection. "I will see you, in the next life…"_

 _He gestured with his hand, a sign of love among the Chozo, before backing away, making room for the Librarian._

 _She smiled warmly at Samus, who smiled nervously back. In truth, when Samus had entered an alliance with the Forerunners, she had expected to hate them all. She still did for the most part, but the Librarian had always been different, and had grown on her. Now, Samus felt like the Librarian had been the mother she'd never had, never gotten to know._

" _We will give everything to save the Galaxy from the Flood, but it's up to you, to ensure its future. Goodbye, Samus Aran". She said, her voice soft and yet pain ridden._

 _The pod doors closed, and Samus felt herself begin to fade. Her eyelids fluttered as she fought against the feeling, but soon it overcame her._

 _However, the memory continued, even though Samus was for the most part unconscious. The Librarian sighed, turning to the pedestal Adam was kept inside. His avatar appeared, light blue with pressed military outfit, just as she remembered him in life._

" _You know what you must do, ancilla?" She asked him, her voice sounding grave._

 _He nodded. "I've already deleted most not important information, and files that won't be needed. I will delete the rest after the…firing."_

 _She nodded, sighing. "Alright, will I wish you luck as well, Adam."_

" _Thank you Ma'am, you too." He said just as sadly, before his avatar faded._

 _She took a deep breath, looking regrettably at the pod Samus was not in. "Have we done the right thing?" She asked Old Bird, her voice doubtful._

 _He nodded, moving to stand in front of the pod. "Yes, she will survive…" He muttered. "She has too…"_

 _The Librarian didn't reply, simply staring at the pod. "I've got to get to Erde-Tyrene, the firing will commence soon." She said quickly, before adding. "I…want to be among the Humans when it happens."_

 _Old Bird simply nodded, continuing to stare at the asleep Samus._

" _Did you want to accompany me?" She asked him, to which he shook his head._

" _No, I will stay…" he said, voice gravelly. "I will stay with her until the end…"_

 _The Librarian nodded, moving to wrap her arms around the old man. They embraced, the Librarian crying._

" _Good bye, old friend." She said, her voice shuddering._

" _Good bye…Old friend." He replied in kind, his voice low and sad._

 _The Librarian took one last look at the pod, before the hurried out of the room, to find a ship to take her to what was now called Earth. Old Bird sighed heavily, placing a hand on the capsule._

" _Until the end…" He repeated to himself. "Good bye, my Samus."_

 _He then sat down on the metal floor, legs crossed. He took one last look at her, before closing his eyes, appearing to go into a trance. He remained like this for minutes, even when the sounds of Halo powering up started, getting louder and louder. And then, in a flash of light, he was gone, eradicated from existence, just like all life in the galaxy. All life, except for the sleeping Samus…_

* * *

Samus was on her hands and knees, tears flowing freely. She understood everything she'd just seen, but was still trying to comprehend it all.

"You…you gave up so much…" She managed to say between sharp breaths. It occurred to her that she'd been kneeling on the ground for minutes now, but the Librarian hovered close by, looking as if she wanted to touch Samus.

"Yes, but that was the plan." She said sadly. "After the rings fired, it all happened as planned, life was re-seeded, and the galaxy began anew. All the while, you slept, the only life from a time gone by…"

"But why me?" She gasped, looking up at this woman, this mother. "I still don't understand. Why am I the sole savior of the Galaxy?"

"Because Humanity needs to lead the Galaxy." She said. "They were always the ones, but we could never believe that at the time. My husband…" She sighed. "Destroyed them, you. He reduced you to animals and locked you away on your home worlds. If he hadn't, we might have been able to fight the Flood and win."

"You 'husband'." Samus began, slowly getting up. "Is threatening Humanity now."

She nodded, her face grave. "Yes, the Didact was one disaster I did not predict. He threatens everything we've worked to achieve."

"A friend is in pursuit of him, but I worry." She said truthfully, suddenly remembering John. She felt a pit in her stomach.

The Librarian nodded. "Yes, the Reclaimer was another part of the plan." She said, catching Samus by surprise. But she continued before Samus could ask what she'd meant. "But he cannot defeat the Didact alone, and neither can you. Together, you stand a chance, but…"

She looked away. "It's also a chance he will defeat you both. If he does, nothing will stop him from composing your entire race, all of them, into Prometheans. His final revenge…"

"I don't care." She said, standing up. She felt new found strength return to her limbs, some kind of inner fire spark up. "You tasked me with ensuring Humanity attained the keys to the galaxy, and I'm not about to turn my back on your dying wish."

The Librarian looked concerned. "Samus…this fate you're determined to follow, this path you want to lead…It could be your end."

"I know…" Samus said softly. "But if I don't try, then we all lose. Besides, I won't leave John alone in this fight."

The Librarian looked down at her, a small smile spreading across her lips. "That's why we picked you. No matter the odds, you won't ever back down. You always try your best…" she said, trailing off.

She looked away for a moment. "Old Bird and I made many things together, created a lot of new technologies, but there's one we never revealed."

She gestured to a space a beside her, and a beam of light appeared from the roof, blinding. "This will increase your chances at victory. But Samus, you could still lose."

Samus stared at the pillar of light, narrowing her eyes. "What is it?"

The Librarian smiled warmly. "One last gift from Old Bird and I."

Samus looked back at the pillar, her face determined. Nodding, she stepped inside, and was immediately filled with warmth. Her whole body radiated heat, and she felt new life flood her. Her injuries stopped hurting, and her head ceased to pound. She realized this, as her armor began to form around her. She was lifted off her feet, hovering a few feet of the ground as the armor appeared. She had never been more happy or comforted to feel its familiarity, or its security. Her shielding charged fully, and with a final flash of light, she fell to the ground, landing with a familiar thud.

She looked down at herself, and to her shock, was not met with her familiar orange, but silver. Her armor glowed as if made of light, its highlights now as orange as the Prometheans themselves. It was sleeker, more organic. As she examined these changes, a message popped up on her visor, one for a suit update.

 **[Prometheus Armor Online]**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey all, sorry about the late delivery. Had some unexpected bumps that kept me from writing. If you paid for this, I'd give you your money back. Fortunately, this is free.**

 **Good news is we are nearing the end! One more chapter now waits, the conclusing to this little story of mine. If my scheduling holds, you will be getting it alot sooner than this one. So read on, enjoy, and prepare of the finale of this tale!**

* * *

Chapter Nine: The Composer

"That worked out pretty well." Cortana commented casually.

John chuckled quietly as he stepped over the steaming body of a recently deceased Elite. "Well, asking isn't my strong suit, remember?"

After they had exited Slip space, Cortana had realized the Covenant were not heading for the Halo ring, but a small space station close by, in an asteroid belt. Human in origin, both of them guessed the Composer must now be on the station. John had then slipped inside of the ship they had hidden on, and dispatched the crew.

Lightly kicking a Grunt to the side, he stepped up to the control consoles at the front of the ship, and began steering toward one of the stations hangers. He couldn't understand all the controls, but he got the gist. He pulled out Cortana's chip and placed her inside one of the consoles.

"Patch me through to the station." He asked her.

She didn't reply for a second, working. "Done."

"This is UNSC Master Chief to base, do you read?" He said into the radio, not sure what to expect.

The immediate reply startled him. "Yes! I read you! This is Sandy Tillson of Ivanoff Station. We're under attack!"

"They're after a Forerunner artifact you took from the ring." John informed her.

"How do you know about that?" She asked quickly, shocked.

"Doctor, I need you to protect that artifact until we arrive. Send whatever-"

The connection suddenly cut out, and the ship veered toward one of the stations walls, away from the hanger entrance. Cortana's hologram manifested before him, lighting up the consoles. Her appearance was glitch, occasionally flashing red.

"Do you know what that condescending bitch said to me after our first game of chess?" She yelled, her voice distorted and fuzzy.

John wasn't sure what to say. "Cortana…"

"Even I don't call him by name anymore."

A warning panel lit up behind her, flashing red in alarm. A collision course. John tried the controls but they weren't responding. He looked up at Cortana quickly.

"Correct your approach." He tried ordering her, but she wasn't paying any attention. She looked as if she was in a one sided conversation with herself.

"Yes, well he also said he works better alone."

They were getting closer, at an alarming speed. In fact, John swore he felt them speed up as they approached the stations outer walls.

"I can see why you chose him Catherine."

"Cortana!" He shouted, but it was no use. She couldn't hear him.

"I'm your greatest achievement and you detest me!"

"Pull up! Now!" He tried one last time. Realizing what was about to happen, he quickly pulled her chip out of the console, slamming it into his helmet, just in time.

The ship suddenly jarred as they collided with the bottom of the hanger. John heard the sounds of metal shredding as the bottom half of the ship slammed into the outer wall, not high enough to clear the hanger floor. Fortunately, he was on the upper level, which slammed into the hanger bay with force. He flew forward, unable to stop himself, and crashed through the front screen of the ship. He fell to the ground, the metal on his suit crushing the metal floor beneath him.

He groaned, his vision blacking out momentarily. Ignoring the severe pain all over his body, he pushed himself up slowly, making sure to grab his rifle as he got up. He could hear Cortana sobbing in his helmet.

"I'm sorry. I just…can't stop them." She whispered, her voice breaking. "It's like a thousand of me arguing at once."

He ignored her rambling, for now. He immediately patched the radio back on. "Doctor Tillson? Are you there?"

Her voice immediately replied. "Oh thank god! When you cut out I di-"

He cut her off. "Doctor listen to me. You have to issue the order to evacuate the station."

"We've been trying!" She said. "The Covenant have already taken over the landing bays."

"Send we your coordinates, I'll see what I can do about clearing an evac route on my way to you." He ordered her, making his way out of the small hanger they had crashed in.

He came out into a hall, which was littered with debris. There were bodies as well, mostly human but a few Grunts and Jackals. At least the stations security were putting up a fight. He moved quickly down the hall, stopping to grab more ammo and another rifle from nearby bodies. John noted as he moved through the hall that the walls of some sections were stone, indicating the station was built into the asteroids itself.

He moved through another automatic door just in time to see a Jackal leap onto a nearby Guard, clamping down on his head with its powerful jaws. John shot it one in the head with a pistol, killing it instantly. Unfortunately, the guard had been killed by the bite.

They had arrived in another hanger, much larger than before. Covenant Phantom's flew inside in droves, dropping off more troops to shoot at the science teams and under armed security. John turned to face a walkway to his left, which had a dozen or so Covenant taking position to fire at targets he couldn't see. He raised his new rifle, a DMR, and fired, killing two Jackals and an Elite whose shields were down.

The rest turned and fired at him, another Elite roaring a challenge. John ran and ducked under the walkway, firing up with his Assault Rifle as he did. More bodies dropped, mostly Grunts. He chucked a Frag onto the walkway and continued running, the resulting explosion and screaming telling him they were dealt with.

A couple of Jackals continued to fire at him from up high, green Carbine tracers raining down around him. An Elite on a turret fired as he closed the distance, darting underneath the Jackal's perch. The Elite went for a sword hilt on its waist, but a swift kick from John made it drop, gagging. He then grabbed it by the scruff and hoisted it into the open space of the hanger, watching it fall into space with a silent scream. He then walked back out and dealt with the Jackals, two swift head shots finishing them off.

He jumped up on the higher walkway they Jackals had used, and began firing on Covenant squads below, catching them by surprise. He moved through the hanger along the walkway, taking out dozens of Alien soldiers, but more and more kept arriving via Phantoms.

"What can we do to keep the Covenant out?" he asked aloud.

Cortana replied, sounding back to normal. "The Harbormaster controls can erect a barrier across the entry way for the hangers, but we need to find the controls."

Killing another sniper below him, he dropped down the ground level, crushing an Elite under him. Grabbing its Carbine, he joined a group of Security, and helped them deal with a trio of Jackals.

"I need to find the Harbor Controls." He asked them when they had a lull in the fighting, reloading his weapons.

"They're out on the end of the hanger bay." One said, pointing.

He turned to where the guard pointed, spotting a control console located on the far end of the hanger, in front of where the ships were passing through. Apparently the Covenant knew it too, for multiple squads hung back, staying near it. John spotted a General in gold armor, gleaming sword in hand.

" _Great…_ " He thought to himself.

A cry of pain alerted him, turning just in time to watch a guard fall to the floor. He had been manning a turret, the nozzle of which still smoked from the continuous fire it had been applying. This gave John an idea. Racing from cover to cover, he reached the turret and yanked it off its foundations. Hefting it like any other large gun, he advanced.

The General saw him coming and barked orders, squads of Covenant moving to stand between him and the controls. John fired, an endless stream of hot bullets slicing through the poor Aliens. Most of them dropped instantly, the bullets doing immense damage. The rest followed shortly after, advanced armor fracturing and failing under the continuous pressure.

The General charged, his armor and shields holding up against the turret fire. John tried to swing the turret like a battering ram, but the General sliced it in half with his sword. John dropped the remains, ducking another swing. His hand lashed out like a snake, grabbing the Elites wrist. Applying pressure, the sounds of bones snapping echoed out even in the mayhem of battle. The General cried out, dropping the sword. John caught it in midair and swiftly stabbed into the Elites chest, dropping the body and continuing forward. The few Covenant close enough to stop him reaching the controls died to Energy Sword slashes in seconds, leaving John alone with the controls.

"Now, raise the shields before more arrive!" Cortana shouted.

John entered the command in, the barriers forming over the entry ways immediately. One Phantom tried to race inside, but instead collided with the barrier, exploding silently in space. John looked over the hanger, watching as the last few Covenant troops were taken care of. He heard the guards cheer, but he knew this wasn't over. Nowhere near.

"Dr. Tillson, the bays are secured and were moving toward your position now." Cortana said as John began walking back down the walkway, toward an exit door in the hanger.

"Really? Oh, that's incredible!" She exclaimed.

John entered a room with multiple floors, with a spiraling staircase leading up along the outer walls. In here guards were locked in combat with Elites. The fight was fairly one sided, as the Elite troops took out the guards like sport. The Guards didn't give up though, continuing to open fire and die to try and stop them from advancing.

John rushed in, Sword claiming two Elite lived before they even knew he was there. Others shouted in alarm at the sight of him, retreating up the stairs. The Guards rallied behind him, as John pursued the enemy up to the next floor. In here, another Elite wielded a Sword. It roared in challenge, before running at John. He swiftly parried a blow from the enemy's sword, before lashing out with a strike of his own, opening up the Elites belly. It died with a gurgle as it collapsed.

A strange hum echoed through the room, one that John had heard before. A wave of orange light moved across the room, moving through solid objects like they weren't there. It disappeared through the wall behind him, though the noise was still present. John knew this was a pulse, a scan wave the Didact sent out from his massive ship. But, why would he can the station? Unless…

"The Didact doesn't know where the Composer is!" Cortana exclaimed, finishing his thought.

"Just that it's on the station." John agreed, turning his attention back to the fighting.

The Elites had pulled back, now gathered around a doorway opposite them, a narrow catwalk the only path to and from. One wielded a Concussion Rifle, and began firing in his general direction. He moved back, hunkering down behind a pillar. The Guards followed a similar fashion, squatting behind various pieces of cover. The Concussion rifle took out a few, the crates and debris that acted as cover proving no match for the rifles explosive power.

"I'm going to rush over there. Give me covering fire." John told the nearest Guard. He nodded, before signaling the rest to open fire.

The Elites hid behind their own cover, temporarily. John took his chance, dashing out and sprinting across the catwalk. By the time the Elites realized his plan, he was already over. He shoulder barged into the first one, knocking it off its feet and sending it careening into a wall. His sword flared to life, every slash and hack taking another Alien life. It was over in seconds, his sword finally fizzling out as the last one died, out of energy. John dropped the sword hilt, now useless.

The Guards crossed over. "You go on ahead sir, we'll hold this position."

He nodded, moving through the doorway quickly, grabbing his Assault Rifle off his back as he moved. He stormed down another hall, the ground littered with debris and the dead. Another scan from the Didact pulsed, passing through John and continuing down the hallway behind him. A scientist ran into the hallway ahead of him, looking distraught. She was young, perhaps in her twenties.

"You have to help us!" She pleaded. "A pair of Hunters forced their way into the Lab!"

John nodded. "Stay here, I'll have someone come for you when it's all clear." He then marched into the Lab without a second thought.

The Hunters in question were busy chasing after the poor science team inside, their backs turned to him. Their mistake, as John opened fire on ones back, running as he did. It began to turn, but the damage he inflicted was too much, and it went down with a wail of pain. The Second one roared in anguish at the sight of its fallen comrade, and began to bare down on him. He ducked and dodged its blows, and was forced to use his AR as a crude shield, the rifle snapping in half from the Hunters strike.

It forced John into the center of the room, an open area. It growled, before charging it him, determined to crush him in its path. John, instead of running away, ran toward the Hunter, matching its pace. Just as the two were within touching distance, John skidded to a halt and veered sideways, the Hunter sailing past him. As it passed, John quickly grabbed a Grenade from his waist and pulled the pin, before slamming it into the Hunters soft flesh. It squealed with alarm, trying to reach its back with its thick, stubby arms. It exploded shortly after, a mess of shredded metal and globs of bright orange flesh.

John took a moment to assess himself for injuries, as the scientists came out from their various hiding places to thank him. His radio crackled as Dr. Tillsons voice filled his ears.

"Spartan? Are you all right?" She said. "It sounds like the end of the world out there!"

Her voice jogged him back to his present objective, reaching the doctor. "Cortana, door controls?"

His visor flashed blue and red arounds its edges, his HUD becoming fuzzy. Cortana didn't answer him, which was beginning to worry him. She was getting worse…

"Tillsons inside the door over there." She finally said, after a five second pause. A major amount of time for an A.I. This made him worry more, but for now, he focused on the current crisis. He moved to the door she had marked on his visor, and marched through once she opened it for him.

Dr. Tillson was waiting for him on the other side. While he usually dwarfed most people around him, she was especially small. An older woman, her eyes were wide with worry, her natural wrinkle lines more creased due to the situation. She moved toward him, though he kept walking. There was an elevator on the other end.

"I desperately hope you know why all of this is happening." She said urgently. "Because, to be honest, my objectivity isn't all that clear right now."

He nodded, coming to a stop on the elevator platform. Tillson noticed.

"Hold on, I'll start us down." She said, moving to enter the commands on the lifts console.

John watched her work for a moment, before explaining further what was happening. "The device you recovered was a Forerunner weapon. The captain of that ship wants it back."

He gestured to the ship in question, easily viewable from the window inside the elevator. He'd seen it before, though only now when standing still did he get a much more detailed look. It was massive, easily larger than any ship the UNSC had, Infinity included. It was a bright silver in the starlight, lined with angry red and orange energy that he'd become used to. John didn't doubt its destructive power.

Tillson looked at the ship, shocked, before looking back at him. "Want's it back?"

John forgot that only a few people knew about the Didact, but Tillson cut him off before he could explain. "You don't think you can remove…it can't leave the station, you know that right?"

John sighed to himself. "We don't have any choice doctor."

She shook her head. "It's not a matter of choice."

They descended further, the view of space now gone. It was soon replaced by a massive room, the center of the station. In the center, was a monolithic construct. Glowing blue and lined with Forerunner symbols, John immediately knew that this was the Composer. He also suddenly understood why Tillson said it couldn't be moved, it was huge. Very heavy.

"It took three months, and the biggest star ships the UNSC could throw at it just to get it off the Halo ring." She said, the gist of which he'd already understood. It couldn't be moved, not by human forces anyway. If moving it wasn't possible, that left one alternative…

"Could you give Cortana access to the stations supply manifest?" He asked the doctor.

She nodded, turning and entering a few commands into the lifts console. "What for?" She asked after doing so, turning back to face him.

"If we can't move the Composer, we have to make sure the enemy can't either." He said, pausing to let his words sink in.

Her eyes lit up with understanding, before she shook her head slowly. "Now wait…we have YEARS of work invested here."

"Inventory lists seven excavation grade HAVOK mines. Just one would turn this base into a piñata." Cortana interrupted, having gone through the manifest.

The doctor's face fell, and John felt a pang of regret. "I'm sorry doctor. Keep routing your people to the evac centers. Once we take care of the Composer, you won't have much time."

She shed a tear, looking down and away from him. She took a deep breath, before nodding and looking back up. "I'll…I'll make sure the nukes are primed so you can detonate them remotely. Maybe next time you rescue us, you can give us a little more time to pack?"

He nodded, turning and heading for the door as the lift reached the ground. "Next time." He said quietly.

* * *

He entered into the massive containment room, the Composer in the center. He moved to ask a group of Guards where he could find the nukes when the entire station shook violently. John barely remained upright, guards falling around him. The couple of Mantis's present also remained upright, there inbuilt hydraulics keeping them firmly on the ground.

"Doctor? What was that?"

She didn't reply at first. "The Covenant…The Covenant just shot down the first evac shuttle."

John cursed mentally. He should have known the Covenant wouldn't just let the stations crew escape.

"This station should be equipped with outer turrets. If we can re-activate them, they should be able to provide cover for the evacuation." Cortana informed them both.

"Ok, ok I'll send you the coordinates." Tillson said hurriedly.

John ran across the room, ignoring his dull aches and pains, to the door that had been marked for him. Inside was a security checkpoint, manned by a lone Guard. He stood to attention when John arrived.

"Do you need to go through Spartan?"

He nodded. "Seal the door behind me." He ordered.

The Guard complied, entering the commands to open the door. It slid open, John moving through with his rifle at the ready. He heard the door slide shut behind him, and lock. Good, the Covenant couldn't access the Composer now. The hall was littered with the dead, mostly human, but a lot of Aliens as well to his surprise.

Another scan pulsed by, the scans coming more frequently now. Although this time, John swore he heard the Didacts voice.

"You impress me, human. Your singular valor will be preserved and studied, once your composition is complete."

John couldn't help it, he shuddered. The thought of becoming something similar to a Knight, becoming a mindless machine, made his skin crawl. Many compared him to a machine already, but not to that extend. The lights suddenly died, red emergency beacons flashing in the dark. All the doors slid shut quickly, locking him in the small hallway he stood in.

"The power loss triggered an automatic shutdown." Cortana explained to him. "You need to find a service tunnel."

John nodded, spotting one close by. The walls inside were very narrow, with exposed cable and wiring everywhere. John was reminded of a place Samus had told him about, some kind of alien frigate called Orpheon. It was where she first encountered Phazon, the start of it all.

He squeezed through the tunnel, emerging into the hall he'd been locked out of. In here, the lights were still working, meaning the power in this section was online. He stormed down the halls, stopping to shoot the occasional isolated Covenant troop. He resupplied his grenades as he went, also grabbing a Carbine to replace his ruined AR.

He entered an area he recognized as an exit point to space. Several smaller rooms were sealed off close by, which exited into space once the air vented out. It also worked the same way, allowing people in space to enter, once air vented inside. This was to make sure the pressure didn't kill the occupants, and to make sure the air inside didn't get sucked out into the void.

John caught a flash in his eye. He spotted several Covenant, in EVA gear, entering one of the venting rooms from space. They sealed the door behind them, and began entering the commands to vent oxygen into their sealed compartment. This gave John an idea, as he raced toward the command console on his side.

He initiated an emergency vent, the red flashes warning those around what was about to happen. One Elite caught on instantly, and tried to find something to hold onto before the door opened. But there were no handholds, and it was sucked out into space along with the other Aliens. John noticed another patch of Covenant arriving in the next chamber, and vented them out too, ensuring no more could get onto the station.

He then marched out of the room, running toward the sounds of combat. He heard human weapons fire as well as the typical sizzle of Covenant plasma. He rounded a bend to find a couple of Guards locked in combat with a lone Elite. The Guards were holding position outside a doorway, a few scientists caught inside. As John ran, the Elite fired a Needler round into one of the men's chests, causing him to collapse. The Elite spotted him and began firing, but by then John was already on him.

Ignoring his weapons, John chose instead to fire rapid punches into the Aliens head and chest. Bones could be heard breaking as John relentlessly hit the Elite, purple blood smearing the ground beneath them, as well as on his gauntlets. It tried to fight back, but John had inflicted too much punishment too fast, and with a vicious kick to the head, it went down, neck bend at an odd angle.

"Is everyone alright?" He called into the small room. The remaining Guard was attending to his friend, though it was clear he was a goner. The scientists all rushed out, thanking him and pleading.

"Head back down the hall, find Doctor Tillson. She can direct you to the evacuation area."

"But what about the Covenant?" One scientist said, looking around nervously.

"I've cleared the way behind me. Just tell the Guard at the check point I sent you."

They nodded, being led back by the one remaining Guard, and John continued forward. He raced down the halls, heading to the area where he could activate the turrets. The station rocked violently again, meaning another evac shuttle had been destroyed. He was running out of time. Another series of pulses fired off, orange light flooding the hallways as the Didact searched for his prize.

"Maybe the all-powerful Didact shouldn't misplace his things." Cortana said with a snide remark.

John ignored her comment. He reached his checkpoint, bursting into the room with Carbine raised. The room itself was crescent shaped, the curved wall made entirely of window. John could get a clear view of space, the asteroid they stood on, and the multitude of Covenant ships that now lay in wait for any more shuttles. John spotted a command console in the middle of the room, right near the center of the window.

"That's the main defense console." Cortana told him. He nodded and began making his way over.

He paused when he noticed several dead Guards. Why would the Covenant disable the console but leave it undefended? Something wasn't right…

A scrape along the metal ground saved his life, alerting him to his stealthy attacker. The Elite had been hidden in camo, and had crept close to him before lunging, Sword raised. John managed to trap its sword arm between the side of his chest and his own arm, pinning it. The Elite tried to kick him, the resulting tumble causing them both to crash.

As they rolled and tumbled on the ground, Cortana began talking to herself. Johns visor went fuzzy again.

"I'm the prerequisite for success…" She murmured.

John managed to smash his helmet into the Elites face, causing the ugly thing to howl with pain. While it was distracted, John secured its wrist, making it drop the Sword. His tracker showed him another target, as a second Elite appeared close by, raising a Plasma Rifle at him.

"Why should we save them?" Cortana whispered sharply, the noise hurting his ears.

"Not helping!" He grunted. He hoisted his melee attacker in front of him, using the Elite as a shield. It roared in surprise, before being pelted with Plasma fire. Having dealt with that one, John grabbed a Plasma Grenade of it body and hurled it at the far off Elite. It ducked, the blue ball of death sailing over its head. But by then, John had grabbed the Sword. He threw it, the plasma blades sinking into the Elites chest, killing it instantly. It fell in a heap, the Sword vanishing shortly after.

Cortana suddenly laughed, startling him. "Heh, insert me into the defense grid."

John did, moving over to the console. He hesitated, worried what Cortana might do in this state of mind. But he put her in anyway. What other choice did he have at the moment?

Her hologram appeared, although it looked fuzzy, out of focus. She began working on bringing the turrets online immediately, much to John's relief. He tried to contact Tillson, to inform her of their progress.

"Dr. Tillson, are you there?"

"Yes, I'm here." She replied immediately. "Any luck?"

"Cortana's bringing the grid online now." He told her.

The cannons outside suddenly lit up, swiveling around to face the small fleet the Covenant had. John noted they were MAC cannons, before watching as they opened fire. The Covenant ships they used were not built for heavy combat, and were no match for the accelerated slugs the MACs fired at high speed.

"Done…" Cortana said, sounding tired.

"I hear it!" Tillson exclaimed. John imagined she must have smiled at the news. "I'll begin the final evac order."

"The nuke?" He asked her, making sure she hadn't 'forgotten' about it.

"We're rigging it now. Meet us in the Main Artifact containment and we'll help you get it on the artifact." She said, before the radio went silent.

John felt hopeful for the first time since arriving. Finally, things were working. They could do it. As long as the Didact didn't get to the Composer before he did, they could still win this. Cortana turned and looked at him, sad.

"Pull me." She said, indicating she wanted him to retrieve her. He did, pulling her chip out and placing it back in his head.

He turned and ran, back the way he came. No enemies blocked his path, either dead or having moved on. He rushed as fast as he could, flying across bends and streaking down hallways.

"Chief? If we pull this off and actually get back to Halsey…don't tell her how bad I got."

Chief felt sad for his friend. She knew what was happening to her, she just couldn't help it. He'd recently been getting agitated about it, but now he was reminded that it was something she couldn't fight. Not alone anyway.

"I won't say anything."

"Thank you…"

He had to take alternate routes, as sections of the station lost power and doors failed to open. His heart raced as he ran, lightly sweating inside his suit despite its temperature regulations. He eventually arrived close to his goal. Another elevator room, similar to the ones he'd come down in before. It had an overview of the Containment room, and immediately John noticed something wrong. The Guards were gone, nowhere in sight, though several Mantis's lay unoccupied. The scientists were also gone, no white lab coats in sight. And finally, as John looked at the base of the Composer itself, several groups of Covenant were setting up defenses. They'd found it.

"Keep them away! Away!" Cortana yelled.

A scan pulse moved through the room, all but confirming the Didact almost had its location.

"STOP THEM! DON'T LET THEM TELL HIM ITS HERE!" Cortana screamed.

John shot at the windows, shattering the glass, before leaping out with a short dash. He fell through the air for a few quiet moments, before crushing two Grunts underneath him. He killed the remaining Grunts around him, the shots catching the attention of more far away Covenant.

"Dr. Tillson, the Composers location is compromised." He said urgently. "You've got to get that nuke down here now."

"It's-It's not ready yet." She said hurriedly, clearly working frantically to achieve just that.

"Ready or not, I need it NOW." He ordered.

He ran for one of an abandoned Mantis, ducking from fire at the nearing Covenant. He reached it, climbing into the cockpit as both he and the Mantis were peppered with Plasma fire. Flicking on all the controls and switches, the Mantis reared up, coming to life. Several Elites had run ahead of the rest, trying to catch him as he'd entered the vehicle. John pumped one of the legs hydraulics, delivering a powerful stomp on top of the trio. They died immediately, killed by the force and weight. He then turned his attention back to the far off troops, opening fire with the Mantis's chain gun. The rounds tore through shields and armor alike, shredding up the Covenant ranks. John advanced toward them, never letting up on the trigger finger.

Several Grunts began firing Fuel Rod Cannons at him, as well as a Ghost duo charging him from behind a rock. John back to retreat a few steps, the Fuel Rods could cause massive damage to the Mantis. He fired a missile barrage at the Ghosts, destroying one and severely damaging another. He finished it with the chain gun, the purple vehicle going up in a bright blue explosion. The Grunts squealed in alarm at the sight, before firing at him once more.

John maneuvered the Mantis as best he could, though it was not designed for speed, resulting in it taking a few hits. Still, one of these had stood up to that Ridley thing for a few minutes, John doubted a group of Grunts could outright destroy it. He proved himself correct, the chain gun making short work of the artillery group. A high pitched whine alerted him, turning the Mantis to face the source of the noise.

A small squad of Banshee's flew in through an opening into space, as well as several Phantom Dropships. John narrowed his eyes. The Banshee's posed a significant threat to the Mantis, and him as a result.

"They're throwing everything they have at us!" She cried out.

John aimed a missile barrage at the Banshee squad, catching two off guard. They went up in blue flames, crashing into the ground with loud bangs. The rest dodged the attacks, with only superficial damage, and made in immediate beeline for him, their cannons glowing as they charged up.

"Watch out!"

John side stepped a few of the large Plasma rounds, though more still found their target. Warning signs began to pop up on the Mantis's screens. Nothing major yet, mostly minor systems and armor integrity, but it still alarmed him. He opened up with the chain gun, catching a couple more in his crosshairs, but the rest sped up, preparing for another bombing run.

John turned to look for the Phantoms, and noticed with a knot in his stomach they were dropping off Wraiths. A lot slower than the Banshee's, it was their large mortar cannon that worried him. A few direct hits from one of those would destroy the Mantis for sure. He fired off more missiles, aimed at the far off tanks. They were much to slow to dodge effectively, but their armor allowed them to absorb most of the impacts with only minor damage.

John prepared to fire again, but an alert told him the Banshee's were coming back, this time from behind him. John got an idea, and began moving the Mantis forward, towards the Wraiths. The tanks held their ground, continuing to lob slow balls of Plasma at his general direction. He avoided them easily enough, though the red dots from behind grew closer. He was now almost directly on top of the Wraiths, and the Banshee's were right behind him. Just as the Wraiths fired, he moved out of the way, just in time.

The Plasma mortars collided with the aircraft, their huge explosion radius taking out every single one. The Banshee's had also fired, their Plasma rounds opening holes in the Wraiths shells, exposing the vulnerable spots underneath. John took this to his full advantage, opening fire with both chain gun and missile launcher. The Wraiths didn't stand a chance, their armor damaged and unable to move. They both went up in huge pyres of flame, purple explosions ringing out constantly.

John looked at the opening to space and saw more Banshee's and Phantoms arriving. He gritted his teeth, the Mantis was on its limits. It was out of missiles, and the armor was compromised. One more hit could outright destroy it. But he readied the chain gun, moving the Mantis behind some natural cover. He wouldn't give up the Composer without a fight.

But then, as if by a miracle, the Covenant ships turned midair and exited the way they had come, abandoning both him and the Composer. John took a sigh of relief, before his brain caught up. They wouldn't abandon their objective unless ordered too. And if the Didact ordered them to retreat…

"No, no no…" he said to himself, hopping out of the damaged mantis. He raced across the room for one of the Elevators on the other side, the one Tillson had used previously. He ran inside, entering the keys frantically.

"We need to get the nuke." He said out loud, as much to himself as to Cortana.

"The nuke will be in the cargo bay, we can-Oh." She said, stopping short.

"Cortana?" He asked, but she didn't seem to hear him for a moment.

"Chief, immense power fluctuations outside the Containment chamber!" She shouted, sounding panicked.

John could only turn and watch as they ascended up the elevator. As if it was a dream, one of the huge metal walls that lined the Containment room simply vanished, fading to dust. The air inside was sucked out instantly, debris and other parts of the room being violently sucked out into space as well. The Didacts ship awaited on the other side, alarmingly close to the station. Suddenly huge, bright beams of orange light erupted from its front, lashing onto the Composer below.

"What's he doing?" John asked urgently. He felt helpless, only able to watch as the Didact finally claimed his prize. He began lifting the Composer out of the ground, accomplishing what nobody on the station could. The Composer was slowly drawn into the Didacts ship, its blue lights flickering and changing to orange.

Cortana hadn't responded to him. "Cortana, see if you can raise Tillson. Get me a status on the rest of the station."

His visor flickered, her voice fuzzy. "…I can't believe he did that…"

"Cortana I need that info!" he shouted, watching in silent horror as the Didact pulled the Composer out into space, his ship veering away and slowly moving out of eyesight. The light in the room returned to blue, illuminating the destruction he had so easily caused. Metal and debris floated in space, the ugly gash he had caused in the wall lit by the sun behind it.

He sighed. "Look…don't think about the Didact. Don't think about the Composer. Only focus on finding me Tillson."

"Tillson. Sandra K. Female. Fifty one years of age. Doctor of Archeology, Pegasi Institute…" She muttered, her voice strained. John realized how much of an effort it must have been to pull herself out of her episode.

"Got her. Biosigns stable in the hall just ahead." She finally said as the elevator stopped, the door sliding open behind them.

"Thank you Cortana…" he said, genuinely meaning it, before hurrying out to find the doctor. He didn't have to look long, finding her talking to several other scientists in the halls just outside.

He ran to her, yelling to catch her attention. "The Didacts taken the Composer, get everyone to the evac shuttles now!"

He noted with sudden alarm the Didacts ship now floated close to the windows in front of them. Of the Composer, there was no sign, which meant he had pulled it into the ship. Which meant he probably had it ready to fire. He rushed for a console, plugging Cortana in.

"Taken? Taken how?" Tillson asked, shocked.

He ignored her, talking to Cortana. "Tap into the flight deck, find me something that can carry a payload."

"Wait…" Tillson said, her voice odd. "Something's happening…"

With a chill, John looked up at the Didacts ship. Its front, a massive glowing ring, began to open up, exposing the insides of the ship. Inside, John immediately saw the Composer, rigged up to various machines inside. A lens like device hovered above it, narrowing toward them. The light of the Composer began to pulse, and its glow grew brighter.

"Cortana, can you access the stations defenses?"

She was working frantically, her fingers dashing through various warnings and error messages. "They aren't responding!"

John turned too looked back at the ship. The light was near blinding now, the pulses turning into a near constant glow. The lens narrowed further.

"Cortana..." John asked, his voice now dull. For once, he couldn't think of a way out.

"Chief…" She muttered, and from the look on her face, he knew she was thinking the exact same thing.

And then the pulse fired.

The wave hit them all instantly. John felt like his insides were on fire. His skin burned, and he felt like the air in his lungs had ignited. But all around him, he could see much worse. The staff and crew of the station were screaming, wailing, as their bodies began to vanish before their eyes. They began to disintegrate, vanishing into orange particles, their howls of pain and fear hanging in the air.

He saw Tillsons face change from shock, to terror as her skin began to vanish. She screamed, making his blood curdle, as her muscle tissue was exposed to open air, but soon that too vanished. For a moment, she was nothing more than a skeleton, her scream still loud in his ear, before she finally vanished. It had happened in seconds, but the horror made it feel far longer.

John couldn't stomach the pain any longer, his mind exploding behind his eyes. He blacked out, collapsing on the metal floor. The last thing he say was Tillsons look of terror, and her screams were the last thing he heard.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey all! This is it, the grand finale! Thank you all so much for sticking with it this far, and I hope you all enjoy the ending! I'll be posting an epilogue at around the same time, so I'll finish up there.**

 **Read on!**

* * *

Chapter Ten: Finale

Samus appeared outside, her body materializing out of thin air. A quick glance at her surroundings showed she was in an open field, the Requiem sky above her. Tree's lined the distances ahead, behind her the misty, rocky area she had been stuck in before. Once again, she looked down at her new armor, still mesmerized by how…alien it really was.

In the light of the sun, it shone like a silver beacon, its metal bright and reflective. The overall shape was much more organic than the Varia suit, lacking any sharp or rigid points. Her shoulder pads had shrunk, taking on a smaller, sphere like shape. The next eye catching feature was the distinct glow from within the suit. Whereas the Varia suit had the iconic green glow from her highlights, this one now had bright orange, much the same as the Prometheans did. The same went for her visor, which now took on a more angular shape, the one sharp contrast to the suits overall smoothness.

Samus brought up the message that had popped up when she had acquired the new armor.

 **[Prometheus Armor Online]**

She smiled, before going through the numerous upgrades that had come with the suit. Her eyes scrolled down the last quickly, having read the notice before.

 **[Incinerator Beam Online]**

 **[Hard Light Shielding Online]**

 **[Constraint Field Projector Online]**

 **[Short Range Teleporter Online]**

 **[Samus's Notes: The last gift I'll ever receive from the past…thank you Old Bird.]**

She had added that part moments before, back below ground. After receiving the Prometheus suit, the Librarian had told her she didn't have much time before the Didact found the Composer. Deciding to see just how powerful her new systems were, she'd tried to use the Teleporter, appearing in this field just now. She didn't know the extent of these new upgrades, but she was partly eager to find out. The Incinerator Beam in particular peaked her interest, and if it was anything like the Incineration Cannon the Knights used, it would be a welcome addition to her arsenal.

"Samus? Is that you?"

Adam's voice filled her ear, momentarily shocking her. Though she felt a quick rush of happiness right after, silently glad to hear his voice. She hadn't been able to talk to him without her armor, and she had missed him, both his mere presence and his tactical input.

"Adam, happy to hear you're still around." She said, trying to keep her happiness out of her voice, but cracking a smile anyway.

She heard him breathe a sigh of relief. "I was worried when you dropped out of contact. At first I came to look for you, but the ship picked up Ridley's signature, so I hid it close to our initial landing site."

"Ridley?" Samus asked. The dragon had left her just as he had her cornered, something she'd thought as odd. "Did you see which direction he was heading?"

"Yes…" Adam said, sounding grim. "Up. He's left Requiem, heading into open space."

Samus cursed. "He's probably moving to the Didacts location. We can't let him reach Earth."

"Right." Adam agreed. "I'm already moving to your position, though at first I didn't realize it was you. Your armor is giving off some strange readings."

"I'll explain on the way, but for now, we need to leave."

Samus heard the ship approaching within minutes of their contact, and she quickly spotted the distinct orange and green in the sky, flying right for her. It came to a hover above her, slowly lowering down to the ground. Samus moved out of the way, taking a few steps back. The lift descended to the ground, waiting for her, and carried her inside once she stood on it. She'd never been happier to see the familiar sight of her home, but that had to wait. She immediately moved to her pilot's chair, setting herself down and preparing the ship for fast travel.

"Is that…Forerunner?" Adam asked cautiously, his avatar appearing on the ships dash.

"Yes, it's a gift from old friends…" Samus muttered, not answering him on purpose. She fired up the ship, and they began flying through Requiems blue sky, moving for the entryway to open space.

"Do you have any idea where they might be?" Adam asked her.

Samus entered a course into the computer, powering up the slip space drive. "No. We'll head to Earth and wait for them. With any luck, we will get there before them."

"When are we that lucky…?" Adam grumbled, his hologram vanishing.

Samus relaxed into her chair as the viewport turned black as they entered slip space. She deactivated her helmet, taking a deep breath. It might be the last time she got to enjoy it.

"Adam, can you prepare a recording?" She asked, watching the blackness outside.

"Yes, what for?" He asked.

"I want to leave a message for John, incase…" She said softly, trailing off.

"No. We will pull through this, we always do." He said sternly.

"Adam…"

"The fact you would think of that-"

"Adam!" She shouted, losing her cool. She sighed. "It's a possibility. The Didact is no Space Pirate, and he wants my blood. Regardless if I can defeat him or not, there's always the chance I won't win this one."

Adam appeared, looking mad. He didn't counter her however, she guess that he must have known she was right.

"Recordings ready." He said, monotone. "Just start speaking when you're ready."

She sighed, looking down at the floor, before raising her head to stare right into her onboard camera.

"Hey John…"

* * *

John felt pain all over his body, but he willed it down. Groaning, he forced his eyes to open, and struggled to push himself off the ground. He managed to get to one knee, his legs flaring up in protest. An acrid smell filled his nose, sharp and off putting. It reminded him of ash. And then, John remembered.

All around him, piles of ash lay on the ground, still steaming. Small flecks of the stuff floated in the air, shining in the dim light of the station. The crew. They were all dead, taken by the Composer.

"You're awake…" A small, sad voice said from behind him.

He rose to his feet, turning to face Cortana. Her avatar sat on its pedestal, hugging her knees. Her face looked miserable, and was half buried in her legs. She looked like an absolute mess, it was clear she was struggling to hold herself together. John turned back around to look at all the bodies, at least what was left of them.

"I monitored the data pulse. I could hear them…what was left of them." She said quietly, sounding on the verge of tears.

John shook his head, turning to face the hallway behind him. "We need to move."

This was the fate of all humanity if they didn't leave now. He didn't know how long he'd been out, or how much of a head start the Didact had, but they had time. Lasky, and hopefully Samus would be at Earth right now, and they would buy time. John hoped he had enough time.

"These people are gone." Cortana said, raising her head from behind her knees.

"And more will follow if the Didact reached Earth." He told her, trying to rouse her from her emotional state. They didn't have time to dwell on what had happened.

She was silent for a few moments, looking out the window into space. "They'll pair you with another A.I. Maybe even another Cortana model if Halsey lets them…"

John turned swiftly to face her, moving so he was right in front of her. "That's not going to happen"

"It won't be me…you know that right?" She continued, staring up at him.

John sighed. He didn't know how to reply to that. It sounded like Cortana had given up, was accepting an avoidable fate. But he wouldn't give up, he could do it. Save her, save everyone.

Cortana got up, bringing up a holoscreen and tapping a few icons. "Spinning up a Broadsword in the main hanger bay. Whatever the Librarian did to you obviously worked.

John looked at her, still caught up on her apparent defeat. "Cortana…"

She turned to look at him, her face looking tired and worn out. Her eyes looked vulnerable, as she awaiting whatever it was he had to say.

"It's not over. Not yet."

She didn't smile, didn't warm up. She just stared up at him. "Not yet…"

The next few minutes passed as a blue to him. He retrieved her, before making his way to the hanger area. In here was the Havoc that was never used, and so John attached it to the underside of his Broadsword, ready to be fired should he get a shot at the Composer. Cortana brought the ships engines online, and John climbed inside without a moments delay.

The ship itself was tiny, about half the size of a Pelican, and much smaller than Samus's Gunship. But it was fast and effective, designed for intense combat. If the Didact was still in the system, he'd catch up to him. The magnetic railings holding the ship in place released, and John sped off into open space. Cortana informed him that the Didact was indeed still in the system, not far from the actual base. He sped off in the direction she'd told him too, coming into visual contact with his colossal ship shortly after. John raced toward the ship, its size growing as they got closer and closer.

"Two Hundred Kilometers from the target." Cortana informed him. "Once we get aboard, we'll find the bridge."

John nodded, continuing to speed right for the ship. A sudden blue and black shimmer appeared, growing into a massive tear in slip space. They'd gotten here just in time. The Didact was planning to jump.

"He's on the move again." John noted.

"The Fighters shields aren't rated for slip space travel!" Cortana warned him, but John continued to speed towards him.

"No, but the Didacts are."

He flew right for the hull, pulling up at the last minute before impact. They skidded along the larger ships hull, sticking low to the ground. Above them, the shimmer of the Ships shields activated as they passed through the wormhole. John checked the Broadswords systems quickly, noting that everything was stable. He maneuvered the ship through the density of the Didacts hull, which was covered in various antennae, satellites and various other utensils.

"Broadsword hull integrity is stable. We'll be safe as long as we stay below the Didacts shields." Cortana told him.

"Where's the Composer?" he asked.

"Close, it's near the front of the ship. I should be able to guide us to it."

John noted that they were currently near the top of the ship, which had an odd, stretched out proportion. He continued to dodge the minefield of equipment outside the ship, taking care to stay as close to the hull as possible.

A sudden and familiar voice startled him. "You have not been composed. Such inoculation should not be possible."

John did his best to ignore the Didacts words, though the mere fact he said them meant he knew they were there. They had lost the element of surprise, though John didn't find this as shocking as he thought. Of course he knew they were there, his ship most likely had very advanced sensors. He didn't let this deter him however, as he pushed on and drove the ship further down.

"Locking on to his transmission…he's at the Composer!" Cortana exclaimed. "We can take them both out at once!"

John noticed objects materializing ahead of him. They looked like small turrets, glowing orange and pointing in his direction. He was soon proven correct, as they opened fire on him as he passed. He tried to dodge all the shots, but they were numerous turrets, and he couldn't dodge both them and all the excess metal sticking out of the hull.

He flew down into an opening to escape the turret fire. Inside, the walls moved and changed, making John swerve the ship in all directions to avoid crashing. They came out the other side to be faced with more turrets, though this section of the ship was less cluttered, meaning John had room to maneuver. He returned fire, a few shots from the fighter's chain gun obliterating any turret he set his sights on. A sudden warning beacon lit up on his dash.

"Radiation levels fluctuating." Cortana told him. "We're coming out of slip space!"

"That was fast…" John noted, not surprised as he looked up and saw the Earth appear above them.

The planet was a blip of blue and green against an endless sea of black, and while John had spent little time in his life on Earth, he still thought of it fondly. It was humanities final great stronghold, their last true bastion, and once again, it was under threat. John dodged more turret fire, darting under another tunnel in the ship's hull.

Johns radio crackled, the local chatter of military forces playing both inside his helmet and from the cockpit.

"At current velocity, hostile will achieve Earth orbit in approximately four minutes." An unknown person said, reporting to a higher figure no doubt.

"Roger. Battle group Dakoda, close on the Forerunner vessel."

"Infinity must have warned them!" Cortana shouted, real happiness in her voice for once.

Even John had to admit, it was a very nice surprise to see Earth was waiting, it's defenses ready. "Sierra 117 to Infinity. Captain Del Rio do you read?"

He was greeted by a very different, much preferred voice. "Chief, it's Lasky. Is that you?"

John swerved through several columns, dodging fire. "Affirmative sir. Where's the Captain?"

"Fleetcom didn't take too kindly to his abandoning you on Requiem. I'm afraid I'll have to do." Lasky informed him.

John jumped right to the point. "The Didacts got the Composer. Cortana and I are in a Broadsword carrying a Havoc grade payload. On approach to deliver."

"And Samus?" Lasky asked.

"I don't know. I last saw her engaged with a hostile on Requiem."

Lasky was silent for a moment, the radio crackling. "Let me see if I can make your drop easier. All ships, prepare to engage!" Lasky shouted to those on the other end of the line. He'd sounded mad, and John didn't need to guess why.

"Alright Chief, the battle groups moving to intercept, but at the rate the Didacts advancing, he'll reach the wire in two minutes."

"Direct all your ships toward the Composer. Cortana will give you the coordinates."

"Roger that Chief." Lasky said.

John flew into a massive tunnel, lined with large lasers firing into wall sockets. He guessed this was some kind of energy production, but he didn't have time to guess or even fire on it. He sped through, ducking and weaving through the expansive laser beams.

"Orbital Defense Command, this is Fleetcom. Hostile inbound. Proceed to condition Red."

The highest warning, Lasky had really pulled through and convinced them of what was coming. Maybe, the combined human ships would be enough to at least slow the Didact down.

"This is Earth Orbital Defense. MAC defenses have prover ineffective against enemy vessel. Hostile still approaching."

"Battlegroup has reached Didacts ship!" Lasky shouted.

"Captain Lasky you are clear to engage!" An unknown officer told him.

John continued to race down the hull, the view of Earth growing ever closer. He also saw various UNSC ship firing upon the Didacts vessel, but they were much smaller, and their rounds didn't no damage. Only Infinity was close to matching the ships size, but John couldn't see that particular ship.

"Composer signals just ahead. Get ready to-John behind us!" Cortana screamed.

John managed to roll to the side just in time, as a huge silver and orange shape barreled past him. A tail flicked in annoyance, a fierce roar reaching him inside his cockpit. John spotted glowing wings and sharp teeth, and felt a lump in his gut. It was Ridley.

Had he killed Samus? John didn't know, but had little time to think as Ridley flew right for the Broadsword. "We have to move into open space."

He pushed the fighter to its limits, rocketing out into the open, still flying toward the Didacts ship center. Ridley pursued him, somehow managing to keep up with them at subsonic speeds. The monstrous dragon began firing Hardlight beams out of its mouth, both fast and accurate. John did his best to avoid the onslaught, but Ridley was proving to be more than a match for them in speed.

"Captain Lasky, I have a hostile on my tail. Uploading my coordinates." He informed the Captain, hoping they could do something.

"It's that creature from Requiem…" Lasky noted. "Lasky to bridge, fire on that target!"

John spotted the infinity, moving to rest between the Didact and Earth. A barrage of ship to ship missiles flew out the starboard side, streaking right toward him. Just before they reached him, John went into a dive, flying toward the Didacts hull. Ridley didn't have time to react, and was hit with a majority of the Missile attack. To John's surprise, the dragon emerged from the smoke unharmed, his orange eyes glaring angrily. It turned to look at the Infinity, before roaring and flying toward the UNSC ship, ignoring John.

"I hope they can handle that monster." Cortana commented, worriedly.

"They'll be fine." He said, speeding toward the center of the Didacts ship. It was a large, flat opening that led into the interior of the ship. John spotted the Composer sitting in the middle, kept there by forced he didn't understand.

As they approached, the opening began to close up, large plates moving to seal the opening away from them. John curse, speeding up, but they couldn't reach the opening fast enough. It closed just as they neared firing range, hiding their target away from them.

John pulled back, away from the constant fire from numerous turrets, to the safety of the UNSC fleet, which had now congregated at the opening. They fired upon the plates shielding the ship, but the attacks didn't do a scratch.

"Infinity, the Didacts closed off our entrance to the Composer."

"We could try to punch a hole but-"Lasky cut off. "Damn, withdraw staff in that section. Aim local turrets to the outer hull."

"Sir?"

"It's Ridley. Its tearing up our defenses, and taking out our big guns. We can't do anything until a solution comes up."

"Good thing you have one then."

The voice was instantly recognizable. That cocky, bold tone. John looked up, scanning the sky. Soon enough, he spotted her, and her outlandish orange ship. She sped past them, soaring right for the Infinity.

"I'll take care of Ridley." Samus said. "Focus on getting John inside. John, I'll meet you in there when I'm done."

"Are you sure you can fight Ridley alone?" he asked, aware of the last couple of times they'd faced off.

"Yes, I can do it." She said, and something in her voice made her believe him.

"Samus? Oh thank god." Lasky said, sounding more than relieved. "You heard the woman, aim the main gun at that ship."

John watched as Infinity turned to face the Didacts ship, watched as its main energy weapon powered on. Twin lasers shot out, blasting into a small section of the ship, close of the main opening. John did a quick circle of the site, and spotted an opening had been made, just large enough to accommodate his fighter.

"Clean hit. We're proceeding to insertion." John informed Infinity. He flipped the Broadsword and flew right for the opening.

"Acknowledged. We'll be on station if you need us." Lasky told him. "Make sure you give the Didact our regards."

John plummeted right through the opening, their vision taken up by near darkness as they entered the bowels of the ship. As they flew deeper, the walls closed in. In fact, it looked as if they were actually closing in, moving to close the gap created. A loud screech echoed out as the Broadsword scrapped along a wall, but John had no room left to maneuver. The walls above and below him closed in, moving dangerously close to crushing him.

"I don't think this is going to end well!" Cortana screamed.

Just as the walls finally closed in, the front half of the fighter made it through the opening. The sounds of metal tearing shrieked in his ear, as he was thrown about inside his seat. The front half of the ship came crashing to the ground, coming to the stop as the rest of it rained down from above. John made sure that his body was ok, before moving to exit the craft. He landed on his feet, rifle raised as he checked the hall for any signs of trouble.

The hall was silent, except for the flaming wreckage behind him. He turned and moved to the underside of the fighter, pushing shrapnel aside to get to the Havoc nuke inside. He grabbed it, pulling it away from the wreckage, before unscrewing the payload from the missile base. The actual nuke, which fit into his palm, he placed on his spare weapons slot on his back. He readied his rifle.

"Now what do we do?" Cortana asked.

"Plan B." He replied, striding down the hall.

* * *

Samus's ship flew in close to the Infinity's hull, the damage Ridley had caused as bright as day. Large chunks of hull had been torn out, as well as weapon systems and vital equipment. Samus spotted the menacing dragon, tearing into one of the Infinity's hanger bays. He was destroying ships and killing crew, causing utter mayhem. Samus flew the ship in closer, glaring daggers.

"Get his attention." She growled, getting out of her seat.

Adam complied, firing two bursts of energy from her main guns. The twin projectiles hit Ridley in the back, causing him to roar and turn, searching for his foe. Samus knew when he'd seen them, his body stopped, and he dropped the Pelican he had been crushing. He moved slowly toward the exit, like a predator stalking prey.

"Fly the ship to Infinity's roof, then get out of his range." Samus ordered. She felt the ship suddenly shoot up, and watched as Ridley pursued them, roaring silently in the void of space.

"You sure about this?" Adam asked.

She nodded. "I'll see you when this is over."

She watched as they flew closer to the top part of the Infinity, counting silently in her head. Just as they began passing over, she activated her teleporter. She felt her insides twist for a moment, and suddenly she was on top of Infinity, her ship soaring overhead to join the rest of the fleet. Slowly, she turned to face Ridley, as the dragon slowed and landed a short distance away from her, his eyes glowing against the blackness.

The Earth was beside them, a bright blue gem. Had this been any other situation, Samus would have considered it beautiful. But currently she barely registered it, her attention fully on her opponent.

"You use to scare me." She said aloud. Ridley didn't react, just kept staring at her.

She continued. "When I was younger, you use to terrify me. It took me years to get over that fear, but I wasn't completely free from it. It changed, evolved into anger. The mere sight of you used to send me into a rage."

Samus didn't know if Ridley could understand her, or even hear her. His cold, mechanical eyes just stared, his jaw slightly open. He let out a faint hiss, his tail coiling behind him.

"But you know what? I don't feel that way anymore. The Ridley who scared me is gone, dead. Whatever the Didact did to you, you're not the same monster." She said, pausing. "No, I'm not afraid of you anymore…I feel sorry for you."

He let out a loud screech, growing impatient. He began sinking into a crouch, ready to spring forward. Samus brought her cannon up, her visor glowing as orange as his eyes. For a moment, the two just stared, the distant battles in space unnoticed.

Ridley sprang. He jumped forward, claws extended. Samus shifted to her Morph Ball, rolling under him. Ridley swiped at her, but missed, crashing into the ground instead. Samus shifted back, charging her cannon. It began to glow molten orange, large amounts of orange vapor venting out the sides. She fired, the massive energy blast hitting Ridley in the back. He screeched, and swiftly turned. Ridley began advancing, attempting to shield himself from Samus's fire. She backed up, firing more charged shots from the Incinerator Beam.

Ridley suddenly charged forward. Samus didn't have the time to react, and was knocked off her feet. She hit the ground hard, grunting from the flare of pain. Ridley didn't give her time to pause, swinging his clawed hand. She rolled away, the hand smacking into the hull, leaving a dent. Ridley pursued her, swiping and clawing. Samus kept rolling, trying to see how close she was to the edge. When she felt open space, she stopped, shooting to her feet. She glanced behind her, her heel right on the edge.

Ridley roared, and ran at her on all fours. Samus was trapped, but looking to the open space behind the dragon, she got an idea. Just as Ridley reached her, his claws out and ready, she teleported. She took a second to get her bearings, before turning. She was now behind Ridley, who was screeching in surprise. She fired more Incinerator blasts, catching him in the back and wings. He roared, trashing his tail at her. It slammed into her gut, pushing her off her feet. The wind left her, as she collided with a wall and fell to the ground. She gasped for air, struggling to her feet.

She looked up in time to spot Ridley launching himself into the air, soaring high above her. He began to circle, and Samus noticed his mouth begin to glow. She pushed herself up and away, running as Ridley opened fire on her from the air. Large blasts of energy rained down on her, crashing into the hull and causing more explosions. Samus dodged some, but couldn't avoid them all. Her Hardlight shields kicked in, the blue barriers shielding her from most of the damage. She heard a sudden whoosh, and turned, only to be knocked down by Ridley. The dragon had dive bombed her, slamming her into the ground.

He flew back up, circling for another attack. Samus stood her ground, getting to one knee and firing up at him. Ridley ignored her fire, flying through the energy blasts. Samus tried to dodge his swipe, but Ridley proved faster. She got caught on the legs, which sent her spiraling along the ground. Her shielding held on, the physical barriers bright and blue.

She got to her feet, looking up as Ridley circled for another attack. Samus got ready to run, but another idea formed in her mind. Taking a moment to watch how fast Ridley was flying toward her, she waiting for the last possible moment, before teleporting. She appeared on Ridley's back, almost falling off as she got her bearings. Ridley yelped in surprised, pulling up before he hit the ground. Samus clung onto one of his back spikes, aiming her cannon at his wings. She fired, the Incineration shots causing the Hardlight membrane to ripple. She heard Ridley hiss, before he started rolling in a continuous loop. Samus had to stop firing as she clung on, refusing to be thrown off.

She was suddenly yanked away from her hand hold by a large, clawed hand. Ridley had grabbed her as he spun, now holding her toward his head. She struggled to release herself, but she still couldn't match his raw strength. He screeched, attempting to bite down on her. She fired blindly, unable to lock on during the constant movement. She heard him roar in pain, but his grip stayed tight. She tried to focus, but Ridley was spinning too fast, causing everything around her to be a blur. She continued to fire in his general direction.

Ridley stopped spinning, coming to a stop above the Infinity. He glared at her angrily, to which Samus fired a charged shot into his face. He hissed, and began plummeting to the Infinity's hull, arms outstretched. Samus realized he meant to crush her, and she fired more frantically. Ridley roared and screeched in pain, but held onto her, their speed increasing. Samus tried to teleport, but she couldn't focus on a location. The ground grew closer as they sped toward it.

Samus fired a Super Missile into Ridley's face, causing the dragon to roar and look away. Samus used this opportunity to fire a charged shot at Ridley's hand. He yelped, his grip loosening. Samus took the opportunity to wriggle out, her body being thrust up from the momentum. Ridley flew past her. Samus tried to dodge him midair, but got caught on one of his face spikes. She tugged against it, but was wedged in tight. Ridley realized he was going to crash into the ground, and tried to pull up. He came crashing down, a massive boom following. Huge chunks of the hull went flying. Samus was pulled away by the inertia, and sent sprawling away. She came to a stop close by, groaning from the pain.

She slowly struggled to her feet. The crash had sent a massive plume of dust and debris up into the air. Samus rested a hand on her leg, leant over slightly. She panted, her eyes on the crash, waiting. Sure enough, Ridley emerged out of the plume, but Samus immediately noticed he'd taken some damage. His metal skin was dented, scratched up. And his wings…

" _His wings are gone!"_ She thought to herself.

Ridley's wings, or rather the glowing membrane, was damaged beyond repair, leaving him with shredded stumps. He growled, stalking toward her, each step shaking the ground. Samus fired into his face, but he ignored her, and continued advancing upon her. She ducked a swipe, backing away. But Ridley pressed on, swinging his claws and tail. Samus jumped over his tail, firing another Super Missile to keep him at bay. The concussion dazed him, long enough for Samus to get a scan in.

 **[Subject Ridley is covered in numerous layers of armor, the materials unknown. Most conventional weaponry will not penetrate this thick shell.]**

She cursed, but the scan wasn't finished. More information flashed on the screen.

 **[Scans detect a flaw in subject's armor design. Upon firing weapons, Ridley's mouth area is vulnerable, exposing his internal systems. Damage to this area will cause severe damage to Ridley.]**

"His mouth…" She said slowly, watching as Ridley recovered from his daze, glaring down at her.

She charged her, crashing into a wall as Samus side stepped. She fired into his back, enraging him further. Samus used her teleport to create distance between them, appearing a short distance away. Ridley glared, before opening his mouth, the inside beginning to glow. Samus stood her ground, charging up her Incinerator Beam. She held the charge, waiting for the right moment…

Ridley fired, the massive beam of energy streaking toward her. Samus fired at the same time, before rolling to the side, the attack scuffing her armor. She looked up quickly, just in time to watch as her beam shot right into the dragons open mouth. He eyes lit up as he screeched, falling onto his back and trashing around. He clutched his chest, letting out a painful hiss.

Samus ran toward him, intending to finish him off, but Ridley saw her coming. He rolled, catching Samus under him. She struggled to push his weight away, but her arms strained, shaking. She felt his hand grab her again, and was unable to stop him smacking her into the ground. She gritted her teeth, pushing against him in vain. He appeared above her, holding her down. He leered, his tail moving into focus.

Samus let out a cry as she narrowly dodged his sudden stab. He missed her head by a mere inch, growling in irritation. He tried again, getting even closer. Samus fired a missile at his tail. Ridley yelped and pulled it away. He glared down at her, before opening his mouth, his throat beginning to light up. Samus saw her chance, raising her cannon and charging. Just as Ridley began to fire, she fired too, the beam traveling down his throat.

Samus caught a blast of Ridley's beam, her shielding flickering from the powerful attack, but Ridley turned his head, the beam moving. He roared in agony as her attack tore him apart. He threw his arm in the air, releasing Samus. She tumbled, landing in a roll, and springing to her feet. She raised her cannon, ready for him.

Ridley thrashed about, roaring loudly. His movements grew slower, as he struggled. Samus fired again, the beam crashing into his chest. He screeched, collapsing into a heap on the ground. He grew still, his movements feeble and slow. Samus advanced, her cannon aimed down at his head. His eye followed her, that same coldness still there. Ridley was dying, she knew that, but she had to be sure. He had cheated death more than once, but that ended today.

She fired again, into his face. He groaned meekly, his head tilting to the side. She noticed his body had begun to disintegrate, similar to the deaths of the Knights. She stood back and watched as his body slowly faded away, starting with his tail and wings. It continued along his body, moving toward his head. Ridley watched her the whole time, his glowing eye never leaving her. Just as the disintegration reached his head, he opened his mouth.

"Little Girl…" He hissed, a menacing grin growing.

Samus gasped and took a step back, but Ridley vanished, his remaining dust floating off into space. Samus watched the cloud fade, the glittering orange partials fading into the dark. He was gone, finally gone. While Samus felt more than thrilled that he was gone, and more so she was alive, she felt a pang of sadness. Ridley had been one of the few things connecting her to her old life, and now he was gone. Samus felt a sudden loneliness, standing on Infinity's roof by herself.

" _Infinity…"_

"This is Samus, Ridley's taken care off. I'm going to join John inside the Didacts ship." She said into the radio, her tone cold.

"Roger that Samus, good luck." Lasky responded. "And…come back alive, please."

Samus didn't reply, instead changing channel to her ship. "Alright Adam, come pick me up. We have another fight ahead."

While she waited, she turned to look at the Forerunner ship in the distance, a massive glowing beacon of evil. It had gained a lot of ground, and was now practically hovering over the Earth. She thought of John, in there by himself.

"Don't worry John, I'm coming…"

* * *

"Chief move!" Cortana yelled.

John rolled to the side as a Hardlight explosion rocked him. He sprung to his feet and returned fire, finishing off the last of the Knights. The hall grew silent as it vanished into glowing dust, leaving a sore and tired John alone.

"How close are we to the Composer?" He asked, reloading his Light Rifle.

"It's just up ahead." She said anxiously.

There journey had been harder than John thought it would. The Didact had been changing the layout of the ship from the inside, forcing John to take alternate routes or backtrack area's he'd already cleared. But they were finally close. He patted the Havoc on his back once again, ensuring it was still there, and stable.

Moving onto the next area, they came out inside a massive chamber, the walls stretching as far as he could see. This was indeed the Composers firing chamber, and John spotted the Composer floating in the middle. He couldn't make out if the Didact was there, but he knew the Forerunner had to be around. The next question was how would they get over there? John glanced over the edge of his platform, looking down below. The floor was vacant, replaced by a monstrous portal. John didn't know if it led somewhere, or was powering the ship somehow, but he definitely knew if he fell, it would be all over.

"Gravity lift, end of the ramp." Cortana told him.

He looked and saw the lift she mentioned, sitting at the end of his walkway.

"If we time it right, our momentum should carry us through the low gravity." She continued, as John ran for the lift.

He felt the sudden inertia as he was thrusted forward into the open, as if flying. John watched as the machinery around the Composer shifted, the huge metal plates that had hidden it from him before now opening. John looked up and realized they were sitting just above the Earth. He willed himself to go faster.

"Chief…once that warhead is primed, the window for getting out of here will be pretty slim."

John didn't say anything at first. The truth was he knew how likely it was he wouldn't walk away. But the Didact had to be stopped, and he was willing to sacrifice his own life if it meant saving humanity. Saving those he cared about.

"I know."

They continued to fly closer to the Composer. John could now make out the details of the platforms around it, all interconnected by light bridges. John guessed they housed terminals to power and fire the weapon.

"And so…you have come at last." A familiar eerie voice called out to him. John gritted his teeth.

"Activity! Significant slip space event building under the Composer!" Cortana warned him.

John looked down as the Portal grew to an even larger size, and appeared to be sucking in the air around it. To John, it looked like a hungry maw, reminding him faintly of the Gravemind. He shuddered.

He rushed toward a platform, landing hard. He grunted, landing on his hands and knees. Shooting up, he raced forward, running along the platform toward the Composer. He came to a stop in front of a terminal, directly opposite the Composer. John looked up and spotted the Didact himself, floating within its confines. A bright blue shield now surrounded the Composer, separating John from both it and the Didact.

"The Nuke won't do us any good unless we can disable that barrier! Terminal now!" Cortana shouted.

John complied, inserting her into the console. Her hologram appeared on top, looking up at the Composer. She slowly turned to face him, a look of regret on her face.

"I've got to do something you're not going to like."

She suddenly screamed, the noise inhuman. Her avatar began splitting, as if she was shedding copies of herself. Her face was scrunched up in pain as the copies vanished shortly after their split. John quickly grabbed her chip and pulled her out, placing her back in his helmet.

"What did you just do?" He asked her, worried.

"I ejected my rampant personality spikes into the system." She explain breathlessly. "If I can do that at multiple terminals, the copies will overwhelm the shielding."

John didn't like it, but they didn't have a choice. Cortana brought up two additional terminals on his HUD. They were on other platforms, connected by the light bridges. But as John watched, the bridges vanished, cutting him off from his objectives.

"Your efforts are in vain." The Didact purred, gesturing to the Composer.

As John watched, it fired, a massive pillar of light shooting out into space. It impacted the Earth immediately, the blast radius visible from space. John swore, and ran for another platform. Just as he was about to jump, his body froze. Struggling to move, he managed to turn his head. The Didact now stood outside the shield, on a light bridge connecting the Composer to another platform, his hand outstretched toward him.

"Did you really think I would let you attempt to stop me?" He asked, a hit of amusement in his voice.

A sudden roar filled the air, as both looked up. Samus's ship soared over the opening. The Didact released his grip on John, letting him crash into the ground. Samus's ship didn't stop, and sped past, vanishing out of sight. The Didact let out a chuckle.

"I wouldn't be laughing if I was you." A cold voice said.

John blinked, not sure what he was seeing. The Didact whirled, shock on his face. Samus Aran stood on the light bridge, a short distance away from him. But she was different. Her armor looked much too similar to a Promethean, her visor as orange as the lights around them. The Didact didn't move.

"You, who would commit genocide." She growled.

"Where did you get that armor…?" He said slowly, his shock fading.

"A gift, from your wife." She muttered.

"The Librarian…" He said, growing visibly angry. "You have no right to wear such armor. Remove it at once!"

"You don't get to tell me anything." She said. John noticed her glance down at him. "I think you've lived long enough."

The Didact bristled, raising his arm. "If you will not give it to me, then I will take it!"

His hand pulsed as he send out the gravity wave, but Samus remained in place, unmoving.

"No tricks." She said. "No cheats. Let's see how much of a warrior you really are."

He roared in anger and flew toward her, the two colliding in midair. John groaned and pushed himself to his feet. He still had his objectives to accomplish, regardless of Samus's status. Suddenly, a small icon popped up on his HUD.

"It's a message from Samus." Cortana said, confused. "Playing it now."

A video screen appeared, showing Samus inside her ship. She looked tired, faint black rings under her eyes. John noticed parts of her new suit as well, though her helmet was missing.

"Hey John." She began. "I had a whole speech planned, but I've forgotten it, so let's just roll with the motions yeah? Listen, Neither of us can beat the Didact alone, but we both know you're the one in greater danger."

He listened, enthralled. The sounds of battle above him faded, his eyes only on the tired, sad girl in front of him.

"We're both amazing fighters, and we've both saved humanity before. But the truth is, I don't belong here." She said, looking away. "I've felt like an outsider since the day I woke up. There's much I don't understand about humanity now. I feel…like a relic."

"But, there was one person who didn't make me feel that way. One man who treated me like any other soldier, one man who made me feel…like I belonged here, at his side."

She looked back at the screen. "That man, was you."

John blinked. What was she saying?

"I can't let you fight the Didact, not on your own. You're the savior Humanity needs, the one who will continue to save the Human race for years to come. So while I fight the Didact, you must destroy the Composer, at any cost. I will buy you the time you need, even if it costs me my life…"

He felt his heart race.

"John, in case this is indeed my last fight, I just wanted you to know that…That I…"

"We're dropping out of slip space." Adam interrupted.

"Ok." She snapped, looking back at the camera. Her features softened. "It's been an honor serving with you John."

The video shut off. John was frozen, his mind reeling from what she'd just told him. He slowly looked up, watching blankly as Samus fought with all her might. The two seemed to teleport constantly, orange blasts firing in all directions.

"She's going to sacrifice herself…" Cortana said in quiet shock.

Her words spurred John, jolting him back into the situation. "We need to get up there."

He jumped over the gap, landing on the next platform. He ran, moving toward the next marker as fast as he could. He saw Knights appear in front of him, roaring a challenge. He hurled two frags at their feet, ducking a sword swipe and running past them. The explosions tore them apart, but John didn't stop to check, he kept running. He moved up a ramp, moving up to the second floor of the platform.

More Knights awaited him, Hardlight rounds crashing into the walls around him. John returned fire, always moving forward. He reached the second Terminal, which was guarded by a high ranking Knight. It screeched and charged at him. John ducked the swipe, and pushed its back, knocking it off the edge. The Knight roared as it fell of the side, vanishing into the growing portal below. John yanked Cortana's chip out and slammed it into the console. She appeared and began to split again, yelling in pain. John took a moment to look up and check on Samus.

For the moment, she was holding her own. She darted left and right, dodging energy pulses from the Didacts hands. He on the other hand ducked and weaved as well, most of Samus's shots missing. He vanished appearing behind her. He swung a punch into her side, causing her to cry out and fall to one knee. He aimed his hand at her, intending to fire, but Samus moved at the last second. She swung her leg out, sending a vicious kick into his head. He roared and tried to punch her again, but she vanished, appearing a short distance away.

"Yank me!" Cortana shouted, her voice glitchy. The splitting was worsening her condition, john noted grimly.

He pulled her out and jumped, landing on the first floor of the platform. Ignoring the enemies behind him, he shoved a Crawlers in front of him off the edge, leaping over to the next platform. This one had an identical layout, and John spotted the terminal above him on the next floor. He ran through the continuous fire, his shielding flaring in protest. He jumped up, grabbing a Watcher by its wings. It squealed in alarm, but couldn't break free of his grasp. He held it out in front of him, using it as a shield against the Prometheans attacks.

He raced up the ramp, hurling what was left of his Watcher at another, destroying both of them. The second floor had a large group of Knights protecting the terminal. There was no way past them, he would have to fight. John opened fire with his Light Rifle, stripping the shields of a couple of Knights. He hurled his remaining grenades, taking out the weakened ones. He ran into their midst, sending a bone crunching punch into one's back. It fell, crippled, and dropped a Scattershot. John swiftly picked it up, firing into another Knights face.

The remaining Knights closed in on him. He fired the Scattershot, taking out a couple more before it ran out of ammo. Switching back to his LR, he opened fire on the closing Knights. One swung its sword at him. Instead of dodging, he caught the sword. The Knight tried to pull away, but not before John tugged the sword loose, disarming the Knight. He finished it with his rifle, before hurling the sword at the final Knight, who was thrown back by the force. Surrounded by glowing particles, John turned to the terminal, inserting Cortana.

She screamed once more, the copies flooding the systems, before the sounds of machinery powering down rang out. John looked up and saw the blue shield around the Composer was now gone, leaving it exposed. A loud cry of pain caught his attention, and he looked toward the fight between Samus and the Didact.

He had her in his grip, his hands gripping her tightly. She cried out and struggled to free herself, but the Didact slammed his helmet into hers stunning her.

"This armor does not belong to you." He said slowly, an air of authority in his voice. "So I take it back."

He suddenly slammed his hand into her stomach, again and again. On the third time, his hand went into her suit, a sudden bright flash of light filling John's eyes. He heard Samus scream, a blood curdling sound. The light began to fade, and as his vision cleared, John's blood ran cold. Samus hung limply in the Didacts hands, her armor now it's usual orange and green. It was badly damaged, cracks visible. Her visor had a massive crack. The Didact chuckled, holding up some kind of holographic item. John guessed it was her suit upgrade. With an air of causality, he dropped it, letting it fall into the portal below. Turning his attentions back on Samus, he released her, only to begin holding her up with his gravity control. John clenched his fists, his bones cracking. The Didact looked down at him, realizing he'd taken the shield down. He raised his hand toward them.

John tried to retrieve her, but he couldn't move fast enough. The Terminal containing Cortana exploded in a flash, sending John rocketing back. He landed on his stomach, struggling to get up.

"Cortana!" he cried out, the terminal completely destroyed.

He looked back up just in time to watch Samus try and fight back. She got some hits in, but it was clear the Didact now had the advantage. John looked around frantically, spotting a gravity lift close by. It led up to another platform, the one that connected it and the Composer. He raced for it, running as fast as his tired legs would let him. All around him, he swore he heard Cortana whispering, the noise low by constant. He ignored it, and kept running. He wouldn't lose them both.

He shot up the gravity left, pulling out his Light Rifle as he did. He landed on the platform above, now on the same level as the Didact. He took aim, advancing. The Didact crushed Samus into the ground, causing her to cry out. John opened fire, the shots impacting the Didacts head. He turned, using his gravity to lift Samus and hold her between them.

"Let her go" He growled, finger itching on the trigger.

"Why should I, Reclaimer?" he asked, his tone curious. "Of what value is the Hunter to you?"

John moved closer. "I said, let her go."

The Didact, swung his free hand, sending John's rifle flying out of his grasp. It tumbled over the edge of the light bridge, leaving him without a weapon.

"Very well." The Didact said, dropping Samus. She whimpered when she hit the ground, curling up. "Samus Aran had caused me much irk, and I will take my time in her destruction."

He glared at John. "As for you, I will deal with you swiftly."

John ran at him, but the Didact forced him back. As John came crashing into the ground, the Havoc on his back slipped off, rolling past the Didact and coming to a stop near the Composer. John struggled to his feet, but the Didact knocked him again, causing him to grunt with pain.

"Then again, maybe I will have my fun with you." He said, smiling.

* * *

Pain. All she could feel was pain. Every breath was sharp, the feeling stabbing into her. She knew bones were broken, multiple ribs definitely. Her head was one fire, and she could taste blood. She didn't even try to move. Her fight had been knocked out of her. It was useless, the Didact was just too strong…

Blue static filled her broken visor screen. Samus struggled to focus on it, her mind slipping in and out of consciousness.

" _Samus…Samus."_ A voice said urgently. Samus realized it was Cortana.

" _Samus, you-have to get up."_ She said.

"I…Can't…" She gasped quietly. "I'm…done."

" _Samus he's-Got John! Going-to kill him!"_ The Voice shouted faintly.

Samus used all of her will to move her head an inch, just enough to see. The Didact had John hovering in front of him, using gravity to squeeze him. John was yelling in pain, his body going into spasms in response to the torture. The sight caused a fire inside her, energy from somewhere deep within her filling her limbs. Very slowly, and agonizingly, she got on one knee.

"Alright…here's the…plan…"

* * *

John struggled pointlessly against the Didacts grip. It was useless, he couldn't fight the technology that allowed the Didact to hold him there. Slowly, John felt his body move to hover over open space, away from the bridge. With a sudden realization, he knew the Didact planned to drop him into the portal below.

"Humanities imprisonment, was a kindness." The Didact said, applying pressure.

John felt his body tense up against his will, his muscles crying from the pressure. He resisted crying out, merely not to give the Didact any satisfaction. The Didact smiled.

The light bridge suddenly began to glitch, its smooth surface fragmenting. The Didact looked around, confused. John watched too, unsure what was happening. Then, to his amazement, Cortana began to rise out of the bridge, her hologram human sized. She wasn't the only one, as other Cortana's appeared. Soon, the Didact was surrounded. He swung John back onto the bridge, dropping him. John gasped, and tried to get too his feet, his body refusing to obey him.

" _In that-case, you won't mind if we-return the favor!"_ She said, her voice heavily distorted.

"Your compassion for mankind is misplaced!" The Didact yelled, looking around him nervously.

" _I'm not doing it for-mankind!"_ She shot back.

Cortana then jumped at him, turning into a small beam of light. She attacked herself to his arm, before anchoring herself into the bridge. The Didact struggled to free himself, but the light anchor held fast. Suddenly, the other Cortana's did just the same, attaching themselves to various parts of the Didact. Soon, he was anchored to the ground, unable to move. He struggled, growling as he did, but it was no use.

" _Now-Samus!"_ Cortana yelled.

John turned his head painfully. Samus was now on one knee, her armor visibly in bad shape. A chunk of her visor had come out, exposing her angry, bright blue eye. One of her shoulders was missing, as well as various cracks throughout her armor. She held her cannon out, which was in a shape he'd never seen before. It had opened right up, exposing the alien mechanics inside.

While they'd been talking, she had been charging this weapon up. Now, it was huge, a glowing ball of pure energy extending from the end of her cannon. Her suit visibly shook from the force, more small parts cracking and fragmenting.

"No…No!" The Didact screamed, his struggled renewed.

Samus fired.

The Beam was enormous, filling John's vision. It washed over the Didact like a wave, his form vanishing inside the white beam. Samus continued to fire, despite how much damage it was doing to her. The beam lasted what felt like eternity, before finally she stopped firing. Incredibly, the Didact was still there, though his armor and body were badly damaged. He struggled to get up, but couldn't. His strength failing him, the Didact fell on the edge of the bridge, falling into the portal below.

John struggled to his feet, but only managed a few steps before crashing down again. He spotted the nuke, now resting right beside Samus, who had collapsed again. John pulled himself along the bridge, his crawl agonizing. Samus rolled onto her back slowly, letting out a small hiss. John reached them both, his hands feebly grasping for the Havoc. He pressed the button which would make it active, a little flashing button appearing.

"Do…It…" Samus managed, her eye looking directly at him.

He looked up, at the Earth. The Composer had been firing this whole time. How many were dead? He looked back down to Samus, who nodded once, slowly.

Taking a deep breath, John slammed his hand down on the nukes activation button.

And the world went white.


	11. Epilogue

Epilogue

 _John closed his eyes, waiting for death. But it never came. He didn't feel himself explode. Was the Nuke defective? Slowly, he opened his eyes._

 _His vision was filled with blue. Getting up painfully, he looked around. He appeared to be inside some kind of energy bubble. Where was he? And, what had happened to the Composer?_

" _Cortana are you there?" he tried. He was met with silence._

 _A flash of orange caught his eye. Not too far away, was Samus. Her body was deathly still, her broken armor shining meekly in the light around them. John slowly stumbled over, and knelt down. Sliding his arm under hers, he hoisted her up, supporting her as he would an injured soldier. She was light, and easy to carry, but hung limply by his side._

 _He tried to talk again. "Cortana do you read?"_

 _A dim light caught his eye, coming from behind him. It grew brighter, and brighter. Ensuring Samus was secure, he turned to face the light, only for his jaw to drop._

 _Cortana moved slowly toward him, a big happy smile on her face. She would have been the size of a normal woman, though still much smaller than himself. She beamed up at him._

" _How…" He began, but she answered him before he finished._

" _Oh, I'm the strangest thing you've seen all day?" She said, amused._

 _John looked around. "But if we're here…"_

" _It worked." She said warmly "You did it. Just like you always do."_

 _John was still looking around their little bubble. He couldn't see a way to exit._

" _So how do we get out of here?"_

 _She sighed, her smile slowly fading away. "I'm not coming with you this time."_

 _He whirled, being mindful not to bump Samus. "What?"_

" _Most of me is down there…" She said, gesturing below them. "I only held enough back to get you off the ship."_

" _No..." he said, shocked. "No, that's not-We go together."_

" _It's already done." She said sadly, looking up at him._

 _John refused to believe this. He wouldn't. "I am not, leaving you here."_

" _John…" She breathed, placing her hand on his chest. And actually making contact. Were this any other situation, this would have shocked him, but right now, he didn't care._

" _I've waited so long to do that…" She said, sounding on the verge of tears._

" _It was my job to take care of you…"_

" _We were supposed to take care of each other." She said. "And we did."_

" _Cortana, please…" he whispered._

 _She shook her head, now looking over at Samus. "You have someone else to take care of now."_

 _John didn't say anything, just looked down at the unconscious Samus. Her head hung limply, lifeless._

" _Promise me you'll look out for her, just as you did me."_

 _John looked back up. "But-"_

" _Promise me." Cortana pleaded. John sighed._

" _I promise."_

 _She nodded, swallowing. Slowly, she retracted her hand, and began to back away from him._

" _Wait!"_

" _Welcome home, John…" She said softly, her avatar fading into nothing._

 _Suddenly, John was left alone again. He felt his entire world crash around him. She's gone…She's gone. He felt the very ground tremble under him. It took him a moment to realize it was actually trembling, shaking beneath him. Their entire bubble was shaking. John looked up, watching as debris on the other side crashed around them._

 _And then everything went white._

* * *

John groaned, opening his eyes. As his vison focused, he saw an endless sea of small metal shards everywhere. All around him, were the fragments of the Didacts ship. He realized he was floating in space, the Earth close by. His mind jogged as he remembered Cortana's last words.

" _Was it real? A dream?"_ He thought to himself.

A glint of orange caught his attention. Samus floated close by, her armor shining in the light of the Earth. Carefully, John pushed himself along the debris, careful not to send himself flying out further into space. He reached her, grabbing her arm and pulling her onto his chest. He realized in quiet horror that her armor, and particularly her visor, were damaged. She was exposed to the vacuum of space.

How long had they been floating here? Was she...

He couldn't check, not with her armor in the way. So he held her close, as they floated through the debris. A sudden bright light flooded his eyes yet again, though this time he heard the engines of a Pelican. He heard voices, human voices, but they sounded dull, in the background. He was dimly aware of hands pulling him into the dropship, the noises of air hissing at the cabin pressurized.

"Sir? Chief" One man said to him, but John ignored him.

Scooping Samus up, he went and sat in a vacant seat, cradling her in his arms.

"Uhh…eta with the Infinity in sixty seconds." The man told him, returning to the pilot's cabin.

The flight was indeed short. To John, it felt like a rush. They landed shortly after he was rescued, the back hatch opening up to a UNSC hanger. He stepped outside, still carrying Samus. Ahead, a line of Marines and Spartan's stood waiting for him, saluting as he exited the Pelican.

"Help…" He said, looking down at the near lifeless Samus.

The next few minutes passed like a blur. A medical team was rushed in, and Samus was pried from his arms. Medics swarmed her, all talking to each other in a fast buzz. They began to wheel her away, but John followed them immediately, the shouts of surprise from the men around him dull in his ears. They raced down hallways, winding and turning. He faintly spotted Lasky run out, shouting and talking rapidly to one of the Doctors.

They soon reached one of the multiple med bays onboard the Infinity, and Samus was rushed inside. The medics followed, but one stayed outside, stopping both John and Lasky from entering.

"I'm sorry, but you both must wait outside." He ordered.

John felt like just shoving him aside, but Lasky beat him to the punch. "This man just saved your life. And I'm the Captain of this ship!"

"I'm sorry, but-"He began, another medic hurrying out of the med bay.

"Sir, it's dire." She said. "We can't get the armor off to operate. We don't know what it's made off."

The Doctor cursed. "Have you tried cutting it off?"

"Yes sir, it snapped the scalpels."

John glanced into the room, only able to see the team of doctors and medics. "I can get it off."

The Doctor nodded, signaling for them to come in. "Hurry, she doesn't have much time left."

They entered, John noticing the broken blades on the ground. He patched his radio into the one person who could help. "Adam, come on."

"I'm here." He said, his tone distant.

"Deactivate Samus's armor." He ordered the A.I.

"I can't." He said. "The suit will save her, more than their treatments.

He was in shock, John realized. Adam had been hit hard by this. But they didn't have time. "Adam I'm ordering you. Do it."

"But-"

"Adam." He growled, his tone promising violence.

Adam didn't reply, the line going silent. But moments later Samus's armor glowed, before fading away, exposing her under suit and body.

John looked away, he had too. Her body was just as badly damaged as her suit. Her face was bruised where her visor had broken, her zero suit marred with blood. Her skin was deathly pale, her lips blue. Both he and Lasky were shooed out. Lasky protested, but John gave up, letting them push him out.

"Don't worry." Lasky was saying, more to himself. "She'll pull through."

John remained silent. He was trying to believe she could, but how could she? No one could survive what she'd been through. The exposure to space along would be enough to kill even him, let along the physical trauma the Didact had placed upon her.

He stood there for what felt like an eternity, while Lasky paced behind him. John's mind was numb. He watched the door, waiting for one of the medics to come out and tell them the unfortunate news. Sure enough, a grim looking doctor came out after hours of waiting. Lasky pounced upon him, but John remained seated.

"How is she doc?" Lasky asked.

The Doctor sighed, looking at the ground.

"She's stable." He said, looking back up. John immediately stood up.

"We're not sure how. The damage she's had inflicted on her would be overkill on anyone. She had multiple broken ribs, punctured lungs. Her muscles were damaged from both physical trauma and exposure to space. But somehow, she's alive, and stable."

John tried to control his breathing.

"Can we…see her doc?" Lasky asked.

He nodded. "Yes, though only for a little while. We need to ensure her condition, but you can come in quickly and see."

The door opened, and the Doctor moved inside, Lasky right behind him. John lingered a moment longer, before he too entered the med bay.

* * *

John stood in the small medical cubical, staring out into space. It had been three weeks since the Didact's defeat, and he'd been spending most of his time in here with Samus. She'd remained unconscious the whole time, though looked a lot better than she had. Still bruised, the doctors had healed her bones, and ensured she would make a full recovery.

The door slid open behind him, and Lasky entered. Lasky had been the other major person to visit, only doing less so then John. He moved to stand beside him at the window.

"Mind if I join you?" He asked tiredly.

"Of course not sir."

"At ease Chief, feels a bit odd for you to call me sir…"

They stood there in silence for a few moments, just gazing out into space. He heard Lasky sigh beside him.

"Chief I won't pretend to know how you feel." He said slowly. "I've lost people, but…nothing like you're going through."

He meant Cortana, of course. Once he'd realized Samus would be ok, his thoughts had immediately returned to the other important person he'd lost. His mind kept flashing back to that dream like moment between them. Whether it was a dream or not, he clung to it, his last moments with her.

"Our duty…" He said quietly. "As soldiers is to protect humanity. Whatever the cost…"

Lasky looked at him oddly, frowning. "You say that, like soldiers and humanity are two different things. Soldiers aren't machines."

The words hit him like a blow. He turned his head sharply.

"We're just people." Lasky finished, looking at him sadly.

John couldn't reply, though he tried. One sentence he struggled with, but just couldn't get the words out. Lasky watched him a moment longer before sighing.

"I'll let you have the place to yourself."

Turning, Lasky gave one last long look to the sleeping Samus before exiting, leaving John alone again.

John finally found the words. "She said that to me once…about being a machine."

A few hours passed, John still watching out the window, thinking about what Lasky had said. He heard faint rustles behind him, but ignored it. Samus had moved in her sleep before.

"Do you sleep in…that armor or something?"

Turning, he couldn't help but crack a smile. Samus was slowly opening and closing her eyes, groaning as she tried to sit up. John moved to sit in a chair next to the cot. He removed his helmet, so she could see his smile.

"I'm not the one who's been asleep for three weeks." He joked back, watching her eyes widen slightly.

"I was out for three weeks?" She asked. He nodded.

"Must have taken a beating…" She mused, rubbing her bruised eyes. "The Doctors wouldn't be happy if I got up now would they"

"I won't be happy." John grumbled. "You need to rest and recover."

She pouted, falling back onto her pillows. They were quiet for a few silent moments, before Samus spoke up again.

"John?" She asked. He nodded, paying attention.

"I'm sorry about Cortana…" She said quietly. He didn't reply, his face locking up.

She continued. "I know what it feels like to lose someone that close…So if you need me, I'll be here, stuck in this bed." She said seriously, even though she joked.

He leaned forward. "I'll be here for you, whenever you need me. I promise."

She smiled weakly, a tear rolling down her cheek. "I'll be here for you too. I know I'm not her, but…I'll do my best."

They returned to awkward silence for a moment, which John finally broke. "I'm going to tell Lasky you're awake, he'll be dying to know."

Samus nodded, watching him get up and walk to the door. "John?"

He turned, waiting for her next words.

"Always?"

He smiled, his first real one since Cortana's death. "Always."

* * *

In an undisclosed location, at an undisclosed time, an unknown figure sat in the dark, save for one lit screen. One the screen was a staff of the UNSC Infinity, a Doctor to be precise. The figure had many people all throughout the UNSC who answered directly to them, feeding them secrets and information.

"It was incredible." The Doctor explained, finishing his report. "She survived the vacuum of space. And she healed rapidly from her injuries, far from the normal amount of time."

"And the armor?" The Figure asked, barely visible in the gloom.

"Extraordinary. I'm no engineer, but it's far beyond anything I've seen before. Anything in the UNSC I'll bet."

The figure smiled, their white teeth shining in the dark. "Perfect, I'll make the calls. Thank you Doctor."

"You're most welcome ma'am." He finished, signing off.

Sitting in her office chair, Admiral Serine Osman, Director of the Office of Naval Intelligence smiled a wicked smile.

* * *

 **And that's the end folks! Thank you so much for taking the time to read, and I hoped you really enjoyed it! For those of you eager for the story to continue, I'm happy to say the first chapter of Halo 5:Hunters will be out shortly, so keep your eyes peeled for that. But otherwise, I'll let you all go now. Thanks again!**


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